Tending to the Soul
by potNpaN
Summary: Alcohol is a presence in all aspects of Humanity and Faunuskind. It breaks, helps, and heals. The people who serve it find they're the people who can help. After a rejection at Beacon, Jaune finds his place to belong at a bar, hoping to recover from his past mistakes by helping others in need. Cover: Hanisu93
1. A Lonely Qrow

A/N: So I had a little bit of extra writing time, and lo and behold, another story pops out. Smh. Oh well. I really enjoyed writing this, let me know what you guys think. After all, I've tortured Jaune enough in my other stories, I think I'll give him this one.

This'll probably be updated... a little more sporadically than my other stories.

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Qrow pushed open the doors, ready to get completely smashed after another grisly mission that separated him from the things he didn't want to leave. Plopping down on the nearest stool, Qrow placed his hands on his head, telling the bartender to give him the strongest thing they had on stock.

Glasses clinked and the person behind the bar walked up to the man, placing a shot glass in front of him quickly, neatly placing a coaster underneath.

"You seem like you've had a rough day." The voice was tinged with a bit of amusement, but also shaded with thin concern. Qrow raised his head up, taking a look at the man who was serving him. Muscles tensed and eyebrows raised, Qrow took in the guy—no, the _boy_ —that was standing in front of him, a soft smile on his face. A shock of blonde hair covered his head, the boy donning a neat vest and button down, a tie to complete the outfit.

Qrow inhaled noisily, scrunching his nose before snatching the glass in front of him, downing it in one gulp, used to the fire that stuck to his throat. Or at least, he was supposed to, but _damn_ was that strong.

"What's it, _cough_ , to you, _cough_ , anyways?" Qrow hacked a little, blinking away the tears in his eyes. "What was that?"

The boy grinned, tapping a bottle right beside him. The liquid inside seemed darker than anything the seasoned Hunter had ever seen, the bottle unlabeled.

"You asked for the strongest stuff we've got. That was it." Qrow looked at the bottle cautiously, still not sure of what to make of it.

"What _is_ it?"

A golden eyebrow raised upwards, his lips quirked. "Liquor." The boy said dryly, lifting up the bottle in an unspoken question. Qrow hesitated, before nodding once, allowing the boy to fill his glass up once more. The boy expertly tilted the clear glass bottle, the dark, almost viscous liquid falling neatly. The boy wasn't looking at the glass, but Qrow sure as hell was, and he swore that the liquid seemed to be steaming.

The drink finished pouring, the blue-eyed boy pushed the glass forwards, flicking his wrist a little as if to say _enjoy_.

Qrow gingerly picked up the glass, eyeing it suspiciously before looking up at Jaune, who had a mysterious smile on his face. Learning his lesson beforehand, Qrow started to talk before he downed the drink.

"So what's a kid like you doing bartending in a place like this anyways?" Throwing his head back, Qrow tried to ignore the strength of the liquor, which seemed to punch him in the throat. Jaune turned a little to grab another glass to clean, as well as to hide the amusement that colored his face.

Shrugging, the boy turned back around. "I wanted to go to Vale. Wanted to get into Beacon, become a Hunter, help people, but…" The boy shrugged again, Qrow pretty much categorizing it as a habitual tic the boy had. "I didn't make it in. And I didn't want to go home so…" Spreading out his hands, he gestured to the bar. "Here I am."

Qrow was finally able to keep the drink down, his fingertips already feeling a bit buzzed, which was strange for a seasoned drinker like him.

"Hell of a lot less dangerous." Qrow commented, gesturing once again for the boy to pour him another drink. The kid nodded, picking the bottle back up.

"I guess. It just sucks you know? Sometimes you don't get what you want in life but… I don't know." Again the shrug came out. Qrow watched the boy as he handed him the drink.

"It just feels like things went right anyways." Qrow finished for him, placing his lips on the glass. The bartender nodded, smiling a bit.

This time Qrow took his time with the drink, sipping it slowly to appreciate the taste that was hidden behind the vicious kick it had.

"I've got two nieces." Qrow spoke, eyes blinking a little blearily. The boy didn't say anything, just nodding, letting the man speak his mind.

"I worry about them. A lot. Even though I try not to look like it." The Hunter waved his hand around, dismissing the boy's offer for another drink for now.

"They're training to be Huntresses and… I know what it's like out there. It's dangerous." Qrow struggled to find the words to express himself. "I'm scared they won't be prepared."

The black haired man gestured to his glass, finally allowing the boy to pour him another. Silence reigned for a little while, as the boy and the man faced each other. The boy held a finger up.

"Actually, I have something that might help." With that, the boy ducked beneath the counter, bringing up two or three bottles, placing them on the counter. Qrow squinted at them, trying to read the labels, but realizing that his sight was just out of focus enough to prevent him from doing so.

With practiced hands, the bartender tipped over one bottle, then another, then another, into a metal mixer. Taking out a slice of lemon, he squeezed it in as well, before shaking the mixer vigorously, grinning while he did so.

With almost a sort of grace to it, the boy opened the mixer and poured the drink into a new glass, before handing it to the gruff Hunter, who looked uncertain at the mixture. Looking towards the boy was no help, as he just pushed the drink closer to Qrow, waiting expectantly.

Sighing, Qrow threw caution to the wind and took a large gulp, letting the cocktail slide in.

The mix, which was supposed to be cold, felt warm. Qrow could feel his heart beating in his chest, and the headache that seemed to constantly accompany him seemed to slip away. Placing the drink down, Qrow blinked hurriedly, as if trying not to tear up, this time from emotions that he so carefully hid away.

A hand rested on his shoulder, which Qrow traced to find was the boy bartender's. Another soft smile was on his face, reassuring the man.

"You're their uncle." The boy started, "It's perfectly alright to worry about them. But you have to keep in mind, if they've been accepted into Beacon, they must be pretty exceptional Huntresses."

Qrow gave an uncharacteristically watery smile. "One of them got in two years early. Ruby." The boy's smile only grew, nodding.

"Even better. They're probably super talented then."

"Very talented," Qrow gave a low chuckle, taking a sip of the drink again. "So what, just don't worry about them?"

"Actually, worry about them a lot." The boy said, catching Qrow off guard. "Because you're their uncle. It's just what you have to do. Worry about them, but know that whatever they face, they can handle it. 'Cause they're your nieces."

It was different advice. Something the tired and drunk Hunter didn't expect from a boy who seemed the same age as his two nieces. But for whatever reason, he took the advice to heart. Staring at his drink, Qrow nodded slowly, picking himself up.

"Thanks for the advice kid. Appreciate it." Pulling out some lien to pay for the drinks, Qrow hesitated, before placing a little more than necessary. The boy nodded in thanks, scooping up the lien and pulling out his bar rag, wiping the place down.

As Qrow continued to walk towards the exit, he stopped, turning back to the boy, who was putting the bottles he had taken out back in their places.

"Hey kid," Qrow called out, catching the bartender's attention. "What's your name kid?"

"Jaune."

Qrow nodded, filing the name away, sure to remember the bartender who helped him with his troubles.

"You might not be a hunter Jaune," He shouted, "but you're still helping people." And with that, Qrow flung the door wide, leaving a happy Jaune standing beside his bar.


	2. The Worried Elder Sister

**A/N: So, at this point in time, if you've read my other stories, you probably know by now that when I say 'this might be updated slowly' I actually mean... I'm gonna upload this weekly. 'Cause I hate myself. smh. Oh well, at least I'm having fun XD. I'm actually surprised by the amount of feedback that suddenly came in, I'm glad people liked it! Tell me if y'all enjoyed this one as well!**

 **bob:Thanks! You know what they say, practice makes better! And after writing dozens of chapters for three different stories... I'm starting to get the hang of it XD**

 **Sinaves: Actually, while I've heard of the manga, I've never read nor seen Bartender XD Maybe I should, but that might make me acciddentally plagerize XD**

 **Guest: I will!**

 **Guest 2: Oh you have no idea XD**

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Entering a bar with a motorcycle helmet in hand is supposed to be _cool_.

So why was it that when Yang walked in, no one seemed to even care? I mean, sure there were only a few older customers sitting around and a bartender, but come _on_. With a small frown Yang walked up to the bar, looking at the blonde bartender standing there.

Jaune raised an eyebrow, looking up and down at the girl. Yang had the smallest urge to strike a pose to mess with him, but decided better.

"I know I know," Yang said, holding out her hands. "You're probably asking 'aren't you too young to be at a bar?'" Yang grinned as charismatically as possible, leaning over the counter. "But actually, I'm a Huntress-in-training, so I actually _am_ allowed to be in here." Finished with her speech, Yang nodded, grinning proudly.

Jaune just rose an eyebrow slowly, unamused.

"Actually, I can see from your bracers that you're a Huntress-in-training, so there's no worry there." Jaune said dryly. "I'm concerned that you're gonna burn down the place."

Yang blinked.

"Wha- How did you know it was me?" Yang asked dumbly, staring at the bartender, who straightened his vest.

"It's kind of big news when someone manages to burn down a bar. Especially if it's Junior's." Jaune said distractedly, as he discovered his tie was slightly askew and went to straighten it.

"Oh."

Still, Yang wasn't really the type to give up, instead drawing on her 'feminine wiles' and tilting her body just a little bit to display her cleavage, her voice lowering to a more seductive tone.

"Well, I'm sure you won't mind if I drink here, do you?" Yang would've continued on, pulling out things like physical contact and what was called 'the Ruby stare', but Jaune held his hand up, putting an end to her tactics.

"Stop." Jaune said in a firm voice, shaking his head slightly, a little exasperated that the girl would try something like that. "I'll serve you, as long as you promise not to burn the place down."

Again, Yang was slightly thrown off, surprised that there wasn't more of a resistance to her being here.

"Really? That's it?" Yang asked uncertainly. Jaune crossed his arms, slanting his eyebrow once again.

"No. I need you to sign a waiver and a binding contract in front of three witnesses and a notary." Jaune rolled his eyes as he said so sarcastically. "Just promise me."

"I… promise?" Yang looked a little uncertain, unbalanced by the sudden sarcasm. Jaune kept his arms crossed for a little while longer before quirking a smile, holding out a finger.

"Pinky promise?"

"I—what?"

"Don't tell me you've never heard of a pinky promise?" Jaune asked, face serious, although his eyes shone with humor. Yang nodded hurriedly.

"I- of course I know what a pinky promise is. I used to do it all the time with my sister." With that, Yang gripped Jaune's pinky with hers and they shook once, twice, before letting go. Jaune nodded, finally smiling genuinely.

"Alright then. What'll you have?"

"Strawberry Sunrise." Yang replied back instantaneously, smiling back. Jaune nodded, turning around to grab the stuff to mix the drink. "With two umbrellas in it." Yang added, almost automatically. Jaune turned his head a little to look at Yang with an incredulous look, making her blush slightly.

"Right." Without saying another word Jaune started to make the drink, hands moving quickly and smoothly, something so habitual that he didn't even have to think about it.

"So what's this about a sister?" Jaune said, making small talk. Yang nodded slowly, a little enchanted by how practiced the bartender's movements.

"Yeah. A little sister. She goes to Beacon too." Jaune hummed a little, showing that he was listening. Yang continued to talk.

"She's something of a genius. Got into Beacon two years early." Jaune made a little noise in the back of his throat.

"Lucky her." He said softly, shaking the mixer in his hand vigorously. Yang nodded, oblivious to the boy's tone of voice or his posture.

"Yeah but…" Yang thanked Jaune as he placed the Strawberry Sunrise in front of her, dropping the last bit of the drink in, letting the drink have its sunrise effect. She placed her lips on the glass, letting the drink wet her lips enough to taste the drink. Eyebrows raised, Yang continued to tip the drink down, appreciating the taste a little more. Jaune turned to grab a dirty glass, a smile on his face as he knew he had satisfied another customer.

"I'm impressed." Yang said softly, grinning into the drink. Jaune grunted, thanking Yang for her compliment. He waved a hand to tell her to continue her previous thought. Yang took a second, to let the drink warm her and to recall what she was about to say.

"Sometimes I worry about her. Even though I know she's a good Huntress it's just…" Yang struggled to think of any good words to express what she was feeling.

"You just worry that she's going to hurt. Especially when you're not there. Right?"

Yang's gaze snapped up to Jaune's, surprise visible on her face. "Yeah. That's right."

Jaune nodded, sympathizing with her. Placing down the clean glass, he found another glass to clean and polish.

"I understand the feeling." He said, Yang giving him a skeptical look. Jaune gave a laugh. "Seriously! I may be just a bartender, but I've got seven sisters so…" Yang's eyes widened in shock, surprised at the sheer number that he had just said. Jaune smirked. "Yeah. Seven of them."

"Your parents must've been very, uh. Active." Yang said, absentmindedly grabbing onto the Strawberry Sunrise. Tilting the glass back however, surprised her, as she found that the glass was practically clean of any drink. Setting it down, Yang blushed lightly, embarrassed that she had taken in the liquid so fast.

"Active's one word for it." Jaune said, laughing. "Another?" He said, pointing to the glass. Yang nodded, tongue tracing her lips as she waited in anticipation for the next drink. While he was making the second beverage, Jaune continued to talk.

"Yeah, I've got seven sisters. Some older, some younger, but…" Jaune seemed to look into the distance, face a little wistful. "I can't help but worry about them all." Yang nodded, listening with captive focus as the bartender kept speaking.

"But I remember that I'm not the only one looking out for them. I remind myself that they've got our parents, their own teachers looking out for them, and… their friends as well. And they all have friends that would give up their lives for my sisters." Jaune said quietly, hands tapping on the counter. Peering up to meet Yang's eyes, Jaune gave a sheepish smile, shrugging.

"Now, I don't know about your sister, but I'm sure if she's even half like you, she's got the same kind of friends."

Yang was touched, smiling softly, the blush on her face more prominent. "And how would you know what I'm like?" Yang said, trying to summon up the cheekiness that she was famous for. The blonde-haired boy leaned back, pretending to look thoughtful.

"Let's just say… it's a bartending talent." Jaune winked at Yang, causing her to laugh.

"Well then Mr. Bartender, I guess you've got another talent as well." Yang grinned at him. "Bar-tending... to your customers." She said, emphasizing the word.

Jaune raised an eyebrow, shaking his head, a smile curling on his lips. "That was terrible." He said, laughter toning his voice. Yang shrugged, raising the Sunrise up, taking a sip.

"You just can't appreciate genius."

"Oh, I'm sure that's what the problem is." Jaune continued to shake his head, a full smile breaking across his face. Again, he gestured to the drink in Yang's hand, silently asking if she needed another drink. Yang blinked, mouth slightly open as she just realized that she had finished another drink. With a responsible thought in mind, Yang shook her head, standing up.

"No, I think I'm done for the night. I need to get back to Beacon before it gets too late." Suddenly remembering her manners, she stuck her hand out. "Yang. Yang Xiao-Long."

Jaune grasped her hand with a firm grip of his own, a serene smile on his face. "Jaune. Just Jaune." Yang matched his expression.

"It was nice meeting you, Just Jaune." Yang joked, letting go of his hand. "You make a mean Strawberry Sunrise." Jaune nodded.

"Nice meeting you as well. Hope to see you again."

"Count on it." Yang said, grinning. With that note, the girl grabbed onto her helmet and strode towards the exit of the bar, mind clearer than she would've thought after consuming alcohol.

"Oh, Yang!" Jaune called out, causing Yang to turn. Face thoughtful, Jaune's lips twisted into a huge smile, waving his hand.

"Xiao-Long!" The girl grinned at the pun, waving back before leaving to head back to Beacon.

Yeah. Definitely coming back.


	3. Wintertime

**A/N: Woo hoo, another one! Let me know how this one is, I feel like I wrote too much without... I dunno. Enjoy!**

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Jaune looked up as he heard the door to the bar open up, alerting him that there was a visitor. A wide smile broke across his face as he saw a semi-regular approach him, smiling politely back.

"Welcome back Miss Schnee. The usual?" Jaune asked, half polite. Crossing her arms, one of her eyebrows lifted, a stern look on her face.

"What have I told you before Jaune? Please, just call me Winter."

Jaune nodded his head, chuckling. "Yes, yes, of course." He said, without any intention of obeying the request. Winter huffed a breath, before smiling a little and sitting on the nearest seat across from Jaune, nodding as he repeated his question.

Jaune nodded, pulling out the bottles from under the counter, popping the top open and pulling a glass towards him. Quickly, he poured the drinks and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice into the shaker. Winter looked impressed at the speed and how prepared Jaune seemed to be.

"Do you usually have everything needed to make a drink of French 75 under the bar, or is it something you have ready for me?" Winter asked, smirking. Jaune grinned at her, shrugging as he poured the gin mix into the tall cocktail glass.

"You're a very scheduled person. You come in at around nine in the evening on the first Friday of every month." Jaune topped the drink with a bit of sparkling wine and placed a spiral of lemon peel, completing the drink. Pushing it forward, Jaune spread his arms theatrically.

"Your drink, Miss Schnee." Jaune said, his voice taking on a faux pompous air. Winter laughed at that, grabbing the drink daintily with her fingertips.

"Please, call me Winter." She said, a trace of laughter still in her voice. Naturally, Jaune ignored her once again, smiling warmly as she pulled the drink up to her lips. The two held the silence comfortably, having known each other long enough to realize when to speak and when not to, allowing Winter to enjoy her drink and Jaune to finish some small cleaning and organizing. Winter's eyes trailed after Jaune, her mind in a state of contemplation.

"Did you need something else Miss Schnee, or are you preparing yourself to talk about your family again?" Jaune's tone was semi-serious, letting Winter know that he was teasing her slightly, but is willing to hear her out if she does need to gripe. Raising the glass up to her lips to hide her smile, Winter kept her eyes locked on Jaune.

"Actually, I do have something I'd like to talk about." Jaune turned to face her as she said so, smiling.

"Well by all means Miss Schnee, my ears are open." Winter closed her eyes briefly, gathering her thoughts before placing the glass down, her face composed.

"I wanted to speak to you about my little sister." Jaune nodded, pulling out a fresh glass and preparing Winter's second round. She tended to brink four of these glasses, although the rate that they disappeared varied. Unlike the point of conversation the two usually had.

"Weiss Schnee, second daughter of the great Eider Schnee. Pretty, smart, and capable, and the only flaw anywhere on or in her body is her excessive pride for the Schnee name." Jaune said it in a tone that explained that _yes_ , Winter didn't have to explain who she was for the umpteenth time. Winter picked up on this and frowned a little, crossing her arms. Jaune saw the put off look that she was making and held up his hands.

"Sorry, it's just I hear about her every month and I was wondering when you would get past the point where you didn't need to gloat with me." Jaune shrugged, placing his hands on the countertop. "I guess we're not at that point yet."

Winter frowned, her gaze lowering to look into her glass, the slightly tinged liquid making small ripples as she moved it around with her hands. Another moment of silence passed as the two of them didn't say anything, the air around them a little tense. Finally, Jaune was the one to burst first.

"I'm sorry—"

"You're right." Winter interrupted him, leaving Jaune with his jaw open, eyes wide. The white-haired woman turned to look him in the eyes, and he hurriedly snapped his jaw shut, ears perked and attentive.

"She's… she's such a strong girl." Winter murmured, before taking a sip of her drink. "She's intelligent, brave, smart," Jaune rolled his eyes when Winter wasn't watching, having just said something along those lines. "but she doesn't have any confidence." Winter turned her head to stare outside one of the nearest windows, probably just something to keep her eyes preoccupied, as it was a little too dark to really see anything out there.

"I think that's why she left the house." Winter continued. "She wanted to make a name out of herself, so that when she came back home she would be able to add something else to the Schnee name." Winter drew herself inwards, hands clasped onto the opposite elbows. "She's much stronger than I am."

Jaune stared at the woman—who seemed more vulnerable than he'd ever seen her before. There weren't many people Winter could really confide in. In fact, that number was easily countable with one hand, and that was something anyone with eyes could figure out about her just by looking. Jaune looked at the cocktail glass that rested in front of Winter, internally wondering if there was something in the drinks that he made that simply made people open up to him. Shaking off the thought, Jaune decided now would be the best time to step in with his advice.

"Why do you think so?" Jaune asked gently, eyes probing her face, which was still pointed towards the windows. "After all, you left as well." Winter shook her head, teeth gently biting into her lower lip.

"No. It's not the same."

"Why?" Jaune was quick to ask, wanting to know her thought process. Winter turned her head slowly, looking at him with a pained expression.

"Because I joined the military to run away from my name." She whispered. Jaune didn't say anything, simply keeping his eyes locked on hers, waiting patiently for an explanation that would surely come. And come it did.

"Weiss built up the courage to hide her application to Beacon from the whole family until the last second, where she announced that she would be traveling to Vale to carry the legacy out in her own way." Winter snorted, raising a hand to brush away a stray lock of hair. "My father disagreed, naturally, and after a brief debate, he gave her so many… so many _rules_ to follow that were absolutely unfair to her, sure that she would finally back down, but…" Winter gave a grin, her eyes sparkling as she recalled that day. "Oh, the face on my father when Weiss agreed to it and went left the next day. A memory that I'll never forget." Winter chortled, covering her mouth as she did so. Another lift of the cocktail brought the glass to empty, where Jaune already had her third glass in hand, quickly changing the glasses out. Winter nodded in acknowledgement, grateful as she continued to talk.

"On the other hand _I_ ," Winter grimaced in disgust, her rigid posture slouched for once, "I decided to join the Atlas military, telling my father months in advance and waiting for his approval to leave." Winter rested her cheek on one of her hands, sighing balefully. "I simply thought of the best way out of the house that would cause the least amount of trouble and…. Well. Here I am. Drinking away my troubles on a Friday night when I'm still in the prime of my youth." Winter smiled sardonically, sipping on her glass.

Jaune placed a hand on hers and firmly made her put down the drink, causing Winter to look at him with confusion. Jaune's eyebrows were scrunched up, a frown noticeable on his face.

"I'm starting to think that you're a mopey drunk." Jaune said shortly, before pulling the drink towards his side of the counter.

"First off, three drinks a month is _not_ wasting any of your time. And second off," Jaune looked at the woman, who seemed to be strangely attached to what he was saying. "Maybe it's true that you joined the military to run away from your family," he said, shrugging. "But that's not what matters anymore." Winter matched Jaune's earlier expression, confused.

"It's not?"

Jaune shook his head. "No. What matters is what you've done during your time in the military, and what you're planning to do _now_. I mean, from what I've heard, Combat Specialist Winter Schnee is one of the brightest and most capable young talents that the Atlas military has to offer." Jaune closed his eyes, reciting something that he had heard a certain man say a few weeks back to him.

"I think you're forgetting the big thing about why Weiss decided to join Beacon." Jaune said, deciding to reach and see if he could press the right buttons. "I think you're forgetting the fact that Weiss has seen you perform exceptionally in the military, and wants to follow in your footsteps to make a name out of herself. Like you." Jaune added that last part unnecessarily, hoping that he would get through to the woman.

Winter stayed silent, her mind whirling a little bit as she digested the words and comfort that Jaune had offered her. Sure, it wasn't going to solve much. Winter had been harboring these feeling for years, and a quick talk with a bartender wasn't going to instantly fix her problems. Even if the advice he gave was sound.

But it was a start.

Cracking a smaller, more genuine smile, Winter looked at Jaune sheepishly. "Thanks for the talk Jaune. I appreciate it." Jaune gave a small chuckle, and winked at her.

"Hey, anything to help one of my favorite customers out." He said easily, some of the charm that he developed from working at a bar leaking out. Winter grinned, an eyebrow raised.

" _One_ of your favorite? I'm not your _most_ favorite?" Jaune snorted, shaking his head.

"Of course not. I mean, you only visit me once a month. How can I place you over any of the people who visit me say, every other night?" Jaune waved a hand in dismissal. "No, that'd be betraying my regulars." Winter shook her head jokingly in dejection.

"Placing alcoholics in front of a trained Combat Specialist." Winter muttered softly, before grabbing her drink from Jaune's side of the counter, finishing it off and pulling out some lien to pay. "Well if that's the case, I think I'll just have to leave." Jaune glanced at a nearby clock, surprised to see the time fly by. He nodded, thinking that it would be best if she left before midnight came.

Combat Specialist or not, Winter _was_ a girl, as pig-headedly chauvinistic as it sounded to Jaune.

"I guess I'll see you next month then?" Jaune asked, sliding the used glasses back behind the counter. Winter put on a thoughtful expression after she placed the appropriate amount of money on the table (which was twice as much money as the drinks really cost but hey, Jaune wasn't really complaining).

"I don't know, I might be busy and decide not to visit you for a while." Jaune frowned at that, even though he knew that she was just playing around. Winter grinned at him, copying what Jaune had done to before and winking at him. "Maybe I'll be freer than usual and decide to visit in _less_ than a month." Winter shrugged, almost resembling Jaune in a way. "Who knows, I'm certainly not one of your _favorite_ regulars after all." Jaune palmed his face, sighing a little.

"You're never going to let this go, are you?" He muttered the words, but made sure they were loud enough for the woman to hear. Winter laughed loudly, her shoulders shaking before she shook her head, agreeing with the statement. As the doors slammed shut behind her, Winter heard something that almost made her want to turn around, instead making her grin in a brief moment of joy.

"Have a good night Winter!"


	4. Not So Stoic

**A/N: I uh, I dunno about this one. It seems the more I wrote, the more uncertain I am about the chapters XD. Let me know what y'all think. Enjoy.**

 **AVP: They're separate snippets until I say so XD**

 **COShepard: I'm planning on it**

 **Anon: Will he though?**

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Professor Goodwitch doesn't normally drink, but today was definitely an exception. With a tired sigh, the blonde woman pushed the door aside, stepping into the air-cooled bar. Looking around cautiously, the professor took in the scene of a few men laughing and fooling around, drinks in hand. There was one girl sitting at the bar, nursing a drink and chatting with the bartender. Well, that was to say, the bartender was the one speaking, and the girl was nodding attentively to whatever the boy—because in her eyes, he was about as young as one of her students—was saying.

Slowly, the blonde witch walked forward and settled down close to where the bartender and the girl was sitting. The bartender glanced over at her and greeted her with a warm smile.

"Hello. I'll be right with you." He said the words quietly, confidently, waiting for her to nod in acknowledgement before turning back to the patron sitting in front of him, who had finished her drink while the blonde-haired boy was greeting Glynda.

"That's it for you right?" Professor Goodwitch glanced at the name tag on his vest, which labeled him as JAUNE. The girl didn't answer the question, instead slapping some lien on the table before standing up, smiling at the boy. Jaune nodded, grabbing the empty glass and pulling in back down off of the counter.

"I guess I'll see you next week then." The girl saluted playfully at him when he said that, which made him roll his eyes. "Remember to behave now." The girl pouted and pointed a finger at herself innocently. The blonde boy nodded firmly, lips drawn in a playful glare. "Yes, you. Now say hi to your employer for me, alright?" The girl waved dismissively and skipped out of the bar, not making a single sound while she did so.

Finally, the boy turned towards the professor, an amused smile lingering on his face.

"Sorry about that. What'll you have?"

Glynda blinked uncertainly, not sure how to reply. This was the first time in a long time that she had been in a bar, and it showed in the way she struggled to think of what to order. Uncomfortable and out of her element, her first words to the bartender weren't a drink to order, but an intrusive, and slightly rude question.

"Aren't you a little too young to be serving drinks in a bar?" One of Jaune's eyebrows rose, his face drawn in exasperation.

"Aren't you a little too young to be questioning someone else's choices?" He shot back sarcastically, making the professor frown.

"I'm a lot older than you think." She never thought she would ever have to say something like that, having taken pride in how young she looked relative to her age. "I'm a professor at Beacon Academy." She said, assuming that it would help with her case. It did, in fact, Jaune nodding with his mouth open, face drawn in understanding.

"Ah. Lots of professors seem to be visiting the bar these days." The professor nodded, agreeing with Jaune's statement.

"It helps that it's closer to Beacon than any other bar. And the fact that it's one of the more reputable bars in Vale." The professor admitted sheepishly. Jaune laughed, nodding his head.

"Yeah, we get that. Although…" Jaune thoughtfully looked at the woman, making her feel uncomfortable, but externally as cool as she always is. "Forgive me for saying this, but you just don't seem to look like the type to visit the bars around Vale." Professor Goodwitch didn't blame his curiosity, knowing that her typical school teacher outfit wasn't the type of thing most people wore when they went bar-hopping.

Not that she was planning on doing something like that anyways.

"I… usually am not." The woman admitted, one hand gripped onto the bar stool in an attempt to not touch her riding crop. "A friend… a colleague of mind recommended this place to me." Jaune's eyebrows rose.

"Well it's nice to know someone likes this place enough to tell their… colleagues about it." Jaune said slowly, emphasizing the word lightly. Professor Goodwitch shook her head, snorting.

"Well, he's certainly had enough experience with bars and drinks to know what he's talking about."

Jaune nodded, eyes a little unfocused as he mentally picked out his customers to see if he could find someone matching that description, if only to thank him later for bringing in another customer.

"So, what'll you have?" Jaune repeated the question he asked earlier. After all, this _was_ a bar. Glynda's eyes narrowed dangerously, as if she was about to face a Grimm, before she slumped down onto her stool and shook her head.

"Just… just get me anything. Surprise me." The blonde woman said in resignation, giving up on trying to recall the drinks she had enjoyed so many years ago. Jaune hid his smile and nodded, grabbing a glass and placing it onto the countertop.

"Surely you have _some_ sort of alcohol you're impartial to? You can't be telling me that you just don't drink?"

Glynda snorted at the question, shaking her head. "Gin. And I do drink, it's just usually at the end of the day in my office, after I've finished all of my work. Oum knows I need it." She muttered the last part quietly, but Jaune, being experienced with quiet talkers, was able to pick out the words.

"I can understand that." Jaune sympathized, nodding in concentration before he pulled out some London Dry, tonic water, lime juice, and a wedge of lime. He stared at the ingredients for a moment before nodding again, pretty sure that a simple and straight gin and tonic should work for the lady in front of him.

"So, you do a lot of work at Beacon then?" Jaune asked conversationally, filling the glass with ice and pouring the drinks into the glass, using a short knife to cut the lemon and drop it in as well. The professor thanked him, taking the glass and looking at it carefully, before taking a tentative sip of the drink. Placing the drink down, Glynda smiled.

"Yes. You could say I almost run the place." She shrugged, taking another sip. "Not to say that our Headmaster doesn't do anything. It's just I do the more… public handling of the academy." Another sip. "This is good. What is it?" Jaune nodded, smiling.

"Thank you. It's a Gin and Tonic, with a little twist."

"What's the twist?"

Jaune tapped at the bottle he had placed onto the table last. The Huntress had only seen him put a swig of it into the drink but… did it really make such a difference? Professor Goodwitch asked him, and he kept his grin, nodding.

"Not to most people, no. It's a special brand of drink that I made myself. Something for the Hunters and Huntresses out there." Jaune puffed out his chest, proud that the drink was effective. She nodded, humming in approval. It didn't take much longer before she placed the empty glass in front of Jaune, who was quick to make another for her.

"You know, I would not have thought that I would find someone as young as you bartending." Professor Goodwitch brushed a lock of hair out of her face, eyes watching Jaune closely. "Most people your age have, ah, bigger dreams." Jaune looked at the woman in front of him, expression unreadable.

"You make it sound like bartending isn't something people would want to do." The professor winced a little, quick to apologize to him, something Jaune waved off just as quickly. "I understand. You would be right about that."

The two of them went silent for a moment as Jaune found something wrong with one of the customers that were fooling around at a table, the boy quick to apologize and fix the problem. Returning back to the bar, Jaune spoke again.

"I did have a dream before I got this job." Jaune looked at the woman in the eyes, gaze unwavering. "I wanted to be a Hunter. Applied to be entered into Beacon, actually." Professor Goodwitch winced, eyes falling to the counter.

"I'm assuming that you didn't get in." Jaune snorted in amusement, a wry grin appearing on his face.

"Seeing as how I'm serving you a drink and not doing your homework, no, I didn't get in." Jaune waved a hand, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it though. I understand why." Glynda's eyes widened in surprise.

"You're not mad?"

"Mad? No. A little bitter?" Jaune shrugged, taking the empty glass from the blonde woman's hands, replacing it with a full glass. "I'm human. Gotta be a little disappointed about that."

They went silent again for a moment, Jaune's gaze a little unfocused, his thoughts far away before he shook his head, moving to grab a glass to polish with a clean rag. It was Glynda's turn to speak again.

"So you decided to take a job in Vale instead. What about your family?"

"What about them?" The tone was angry, rushed. Professor Goodwitch hesitated, before continuing.

"Well, why don't you go back to your family? After all, I'm sure they don't approve of—"

"It really doesn't matter what they do or don't approve of anymore." Jaune said flatly, slamming the clean glass onto the countertop. The schoolteacher stopped talking, eyes wide as she saw anger and regret visible in his eyes. The view was blocked when Jaune closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and giving a sheepish smile, the raw and crackling anger that was on his face moments ago disappearing under the professional map.

"Sorry about the outburst. Please, disregard what I said and have this complimentary drink." His tone was cool, calm, and collected, another glass almost forced into Goodwitch's hand.

"I—thank you." She replied, taking another sip. She was dumbfounded to see the boy look so hurt. If this had been in Beacon, the professor would have thought of a way to comfort the student, giving him good advice and a gentle push to keep moving forward. But this wasn't Beacon, and he wasn't a student.

 _Because we didn't accept him in_.

Professor Goodwitch was at a loss for words. How many people, friends, students, colleagues, has she seen that look of hurt and rage in that she had just seen in Jaune's eyes? How many of them were still living, happy with the choices that they made?

The professor had never been the one to ignore a child in need. That's what made her one of the best teachers in all of Remnant.

"I'm sorry. To bring up such a sensitive subject."

Jaune shook his head, waving his hand dismissively. "It's alright. You didn't know. It's my fault for reacting so badly."

The next words she said were carefully chosen, picked out and examined to deliver the right amount of sincerity and warmth that she could muster.

"I know… how hard life can be. I've seen it many times, in many people, myself included." The professor placed her glass down, hands reaching out to grab Jaune's hands, ignoring the rag that was in the way of one of them. "It isn't good to bottle it up like that, and I've seen what happens when you let it… fester for too long." She stopped for a moment, letting the words sink in before continuing. "I know we don't know each other very well but. Everyone needs a ear lent to them every once in a while."

Jaune stared at his hands, covered at the thin hands of the Huntress, feeling the calluses on her palm. Eyes rising, Jaune gave a small smile, nodding.

"Okay then. On one condition." The woman nodded. "You talk about your problems too."

What?

The woman blinked in surprise, hands starting to withdraw before Jaune tightened his grip on them, if only hard and long enough for her to stop pulling back.

"I can see it, Miss. I can see there are things that bother you, and it's just like you said. Sometimes you need to vent. And who better than someone who doesn't have a biased opinion of you?" Jaune closed his eyes, sighing before he continued. "I… I'll admit I'm bad at talking about myself." Eyes opened again, connecting with hers. "Maybe you can help me."

She was enchanted, the surprise visible on Professor Goodwitch's face.

This boy couldn't have been older than her youngest students, but there was a depth, a maturity that she only saw once every hundred students.

There was a brief regret that flared inside of her, knowing that this trait was something that could never be shown in a written transcript. Something that could never truly be shown except during the times when it mattered the most, when it was needed.

She had the feeling that Beacon had missed an opportunity, something that she hadn't thought was possible in a long time.

Professor Goodwitch smiled, her hands tightening around the glass. This. This was a place she could see herself coming to frequently. Nodding, the woman looked at Jaune, for the first time in a long time showing her teeth when she smiled.

"It's a deal."


	5. Sound of Silence

**A/N: Ugh. Please let me know what you guys think about this chapter. Let me tell you, this one is probably the hardest chapter I've done yet. I don't know what I was thinking, trying to set up a one-sided dialogue like this one. Just… review. And enjoy, if y'all can.**

 **On that note though, I don't usually like to ruffle my own feathers but damn, this is one of my betters stories. It's already a third of the way to my highest followed one so, yay me! XD**

 **Guest: Hey, no need to thank me. I'm writing this for myself. XD**

 **D: Uh. Thank you? I guess?**

 **Guest: Whaddya mean by 'set the setting'? 'Cause I don't really think detailing the bar is all that important. Yet. :D**

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Nowadays, most doors in anyplace that dealt with customers had some sort of chime or sensor that would announce someone coming into the place.

The bar Jaune worked at was pretty old-fashioned though, so he only had to rely on the slight creaking of the hinges to know that someone had arrived. If the arriving person wasn't a loud, boisterous blonde who enjoyed her strawberry sunrises, and if Jaune had something that kept him occupied, he wouldn't notice the person until they were right at his bar counter, demanding a drink.

So when a petite girl stepped into the bar, making her way into a seat near Jaune without making a sound, the bartender didn't notice the customer at all, more preoccupied with something else on hand. It didn't help that there were next to no customers there at all, and anyone who was enjoying a pint decided to vacate the premises when they saw who came in.

It wasn't a surprise when Jaune finished the last sentence in his journal—it wasn't a diary, men write in _journals_ —and snapped it shut, he made an undignified squawking noise while dropping the book onto the floor.

"Oh jeez, can you at least say something when you come in like that? Holy Dust, that scared me." Jaune gasped, a hand clutching his chest. The girl had an amused grin on her face, but answered with an unamused lift of the eyebrow, leaning onto the counter. Regaining his breath, Jaune wiped his forehead, smiling weakly at the figure in front of him.

"Sorry about that, today's been a little slow so I was just ah, never mind. Let me check up on the others before… I…" Jaune looked around to see the place deserted, the only thing making any noise besides him were the ceiling fans, rotating slowly above their heads. "Huh. They usually say something before they leave." Jaune frowned, before shrugging. "Well, at least they paid."

With no one else to serve but the half strawberry- half brunette- haired girl in front of him, Jaune smiled his bartender smile, greeting her.

"So then, the usual?"

The girl tilted her head, holding up one finger and pointing to the bar, before pointing to herself. Jaune nodded, pretty sure he understood what she was asking.

"You're wondering why I'd ask that if you've only been here once?" The girl nodded. Jaune shrugged carelessly, bringing up a large glass mug. "Let's just say I had a feeling. Besides," he said with a laugh, "I actually bought ice cream last week so that you wouldn't get upset like last time." The girl fell into an exaggerated girly pose, blinking rapidly while pretending to swoon. Jaune just chuckled again.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure." He said, taking out a metal ice cream scoop and running it over some water. While he was doing so, the girl peered over the counter by jumping, feet on the bar stool to look at the fallen journal with fascination. Jaune caught her looking and politely but firmly placed a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back down onto the stool.

"That's a little dangerous, miss. These bar stools haven't been in their prime since… well, they've never been in their prime." Jaune joked, stooping down to pick up the book, dusting it off and placing it behind the counter. The girl pointed at the book, silently asking a question. Jaune waved one hand dismissively, dropping two scoops of vanilla ice cream in.

"It's nothing. Just something to help me keep my mind occupied when there's down time." The girl didn't like that answer, reaching out to pick the journal up. Jaune lightly grabbed her hand, pushing it back, shaking his head patiently. With the other hand, he expertly popped open a bottle of vanilla vodka, pouring in about a shot's worth and placing it down. "It's a private book, sweetheart." The girl pouted, crossing her arms and swinging her legs, which only served to make her look adorable in Jaune's eyes.

Placing the mug under a dispenser, he pressed the button for it to deliver some vanilla root beer, grabbing a bottle of dark syrup and a cluster of red fruit, chopping them into halves. The girl tried to quickly grab the book again, but was stopped by Jaune's hands again, this time moving the book to the counter behind Jaune, placing it on a high shelf with all of the hard liquors.

"Sorry miss. That's off the menu." Jaune said, a little more sternly this time, but still with a smile. The girl threw her hands up in exasperation, amusing Jaune. With a healthy topping of chocolate syrup on the ice cream, Jaune plopped a few slices of strawberries into the drink, placing it in front of the girl.

"This however, _is_ on the menu, and something way more delicious. An adult root beer float," Jaune winked at her. "Neapolitan style." With a grumpy nod of thanks, the girl quickly pulsed her hands back and forth, sign language for the word 'whatever'. Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"You know, for someone who's mute, you've got quite an attitude." Jaune said teasingly, nodding at her hands. "I was expecting a 'thank-you', not a 'whatever'." The girl blinked in surprise, the drink centimeters from her lips. Placing the mug back down, her hands moved in a flurry, asking him if he knew sign language. Jaune rolled his eyes, hands settling on the counter.

"No. I don't know sign language. I'm actually just reading your mind right now." He said dryly. The girl frowned, before signing again with her hands, telling him that he was being _very_ funny. She grabbed onto the mug and took a large swig of it, almost emptying half of the glass.

"I _am_ pretty funny, thanks." Jaune shot back idly, looking at her put away the adult-sized drink. "You know, for someone so small, you _really_ can put those away." The dichromatic girl grinned with pride, pumping her fist energetically before finishing the drink with one last gulp, licking off the ice cream that was stuck around her mouth. She held out the drink innocently, eyes wide. Taking the mug away from her, Jaune saw another flurry of hand gestures, asking him how he knew sign language. Jaune snorted, making the drink a little faster than the first time now that he had all of the materials on hand.

"I had a big family. Seven sisters—yes, I know, active parents and whatnot—and some of them were bound to have… problems." Jaune shrugged, placing the drink in front of the girl. "I uh, had a sister who was mute. Learned enough sign language to keep her happy. I admit I brush up on it because…" Jaune shrugged again. "I dunno. Guess it reminds me of her." The girl tilted her head to the side inquisitively, about to ask what happened to her before Jaune shoved the drink into her hands, forcing a grin.

"Never mind that, now that I know you know sign language, what's your name miss? I didn't catch it the first time you came here." The girl sipped on this drink a little slower than before, placing it down and slowly doing three hand signals, spelling out her name.

"N… E… O… Neo, huh?" Jaune looked up and down at the girl, lips quirking into a smile. "I think that might suit you a little." The girl didn't even bother answering the understatement, deigning to take another sip of the mug.

"Well, it's nice meeting you Neo. I hope you like your drink." Neo thought about it for a second, before replying.

 _It's certainly better than the company_ , Came the snarky answer. Jaune choked back a laugh, shaking his head.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment." Jaune glanced over at the empty tables, drinks and other things still littering the place. "Well, if my talking to you is so bad, I hope you don't mind me taking care of the mess on some of the tables." Jaune shook his head. "They certainly left in a hurry."

Neo drank obediently, waiting for Jaune to turn his back before athletically pouncing onto the countertop and grabbing the journal, slipping back into her seat and cracking it open, eyes scanning the pages with glee. She read through the latest entry.

 _You know, bartending isn't the worst job in the world. I make some good friends, hear interesting stories… and when I don't wanna think about my life, I've got free drinks. All in all a good deal. It's weird how open some people are to me, as if I've always known them._

 _The other day, the General of Atlas decided to pay me a visit, along with Mr. Branwen. They challenged each other to a drinking contest and I probably made as much money from them as I did that evening with all the other customers. Man those Hunters can drink._

 _And boy, when they get enough alcohol in them, they sure can talk. Told me about some weird things, like how 'fairy tales were real' and all that sort. There were some other things that I wish I knew before. Before everything happened._

 _Maybe if I had known what they had known, things might've changed. Maybe—_

Neo grew bored, uncaring of the latest passage and quickly flipped through the pages some more, trying to find something interesting to read. Spotting a long lengthy passage that looked like there were ink smears, Neo settled herself into the bar stool, trying to decipher the messy handwriting.

 _I failed. I failed myself, my expectations, my goals… and my family._

 _There was so much I could've done. So much. But I hid like a little coward and ran when I had the chance, not even bothering to look back._

 _I should've stayed. I should've done something._

 _I couldn't even keep my promise with my family, Dust, I couldn't even get_ into _Beacon._

 _What kind of life can I live now? I ruined the family name, I broke my promise, I couldn't even—_

A hand slammed down onto the book, wrenching it away from Neo's grasp. The petite girl started to protest, eyes filled with indignation of having something pulled away from her, ready to teach whoever did that a lesson.

Anything she would've done quickly died as she saw Jaune standing in front of her, eyes blazing with rage.

When any creature is faced with an unknown that they can't comprehend, there are usually two choices left to them. Either to try and comprehend the situation, understand what's happening and turn to the two most useful actions known for survival: fight or flight. This was the mode that Neo had been trained in, something she cultivated for years on end, something that was so instinctual that she was feared for the fact that when faced down by her, you were either going to get a blade in between the ribs, or she would disappear from your sight, never to be seen again. Until she decided to stick a blade in between your ribs.

There was another mode, something that Neo had always thought was for the civilians of Remnant, a mode that was for the weak, for someone unproven to the wilds of the streets. When faced with the enormity of a situation, almost always literally on the line between life and death, the person would freeze, their mind acknowledging that fight or flight would do nothing. Neo didn't believe that. She always thought that no matter what happened, those two choices would always pull her through.

Yet, when she looked at the bartender, a kid barely old enough to drink, his weapon of choice his words, his armor a smile, Neo stood stock still, frozen by the sight of an almost animalistic rage. Her spine tingled and her mind screamed that she needed to run, she needed to run _now_ , but her body not obeying the command. It should've been silly, being afraid of Jaune. All he had in one hand was a glass mug, a rag hanging from one of his fingers, and the other hand holding onto his book, trapping one of her hands.

His grip was firm, but it wasn't something a trained Huntress (or ex-Huntress, she guessed) would have trouble lifting. But Neo couldn't even gather the will to try. All she could do, and was doing, was staring at the stony faced Jaune, and swallowing hard, hoping that she wouldn't die from this encounter.

"Don't. Touch. My. Journal." Jaune said, his tone of voice not angry. Calm. Collected. Even.

It only made Neo fear him a little more. Jaune didn't move, and Neo did the same, until she realized that he was waiting for her to answer, which she finally did with a shaky nod. Satisfied with that, Jaune quite deliberately placed the journal on the counter, within arm's reach from where Neo was. He turned his back to her and took some time to place the glasses that he had gathered into a nearby sink, washing them out thoroughly.

Neo placed her hands on her lap, eyes shifting from the journal to the owner of the journal, but not even thinking about touching the item, even when it was so close. When Jaune turned around, Neo had the mug of float up to her lips, the rim covering her sight. When she finished the contents of the mug, which she did slowly, convincing herself to enjoy the flavors, she was greeted by the sight of a slightly abashed Jaune, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry for the outburst," Jaune said meekly, grabbing the empty mug. "It was unprofessional of me. Have those two on the house." Neo blinked, confused again by the display. With a hesitant nod, Neo hopped off the bar stool, eyes still trained on the bartender, who gave a soft, but sad smile.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you." Jaune whispered, hands white as he gripped them both into fists behind the counter. Neo shook her head. No. She wasn't scared of this… this boy. That wasn't the case at all.

She _respected_ him.

After all, how many people could make Neo, someone who's reputation literally cleared bars, freeze up?

Very few, and even fewer who were still alive.

Neo decided that now was a good time to retreat, nodding at the boy. Jaune waved with one hand, trying his best to stay upbeat.

"I hope to see you again." He said, fake cheerfulness injected into every word. He had scared of a customer. Great. Another thing added to the long list of things he despised about himself.

Neo didn't pick any of this internal monologue up of course, only seeing a kind smile, even though she had seemingly violated something so personal of his. Her eyes looked towards the lone figure in the empty room, before looking back up at the small book—the small journal, that was sitting beside him.

She nodded, and literally disappeared, the air around her shattering into pieces and leaving Jaune alone, desolate and empty. He turned to find something else to keep himself busy, something to keep his mind of his latest blunder.

Although, when Neo decided to visit him again, his shoulders seem to lift, if only a little bit.

It would be enough for now.


	6. Communication Troubles

**A/N: Lemme tell ya, this chapter almost ran away from me. There's so much I wanted to add into the chapter, but then I realized that it was getting hard to decipher what I was writing, so I ended it there. I'm pretty sure a few of y'all were looking forward to this chapter so... Lemme know what y'all think XD Enjoy.**

 **Oh, and major,** _ **major**_ **thanks to Hanisu93 for drawing another cover for me. Visit her DeviantArt guys! She's amazing!**

 **D: Thanks!**

 **Guest: Aw, you're too sweet. Thanks!**

* * *

This had been the fourth time that Pyrrha had walked past the bar.

She glanced at the inconspicuous entrance, biting her lip. With all the stories that she had heard from everyone else at Beacon, the bar seemed like a good place to go when you needed to unwind. When the going got worse, it seemed like everyone went here to… what was it that Yang called it? Talk and get hammered. Yeah.

With a quiet sigh, Pyrrha made up her mind to get this over with as soon as possible, and bravely pushed through the doorway, walking into the bar with as much serene confidence as she could muster.

And in doing so, she was treated to the image of a man being thrown across the room, crashing into one of the tables. The red-haired Amazon stood there, shocked at the scene that was placed in front of her.

"You bitch!" The man who was thrown roared, staggering back up onto his feet. He wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth, glowering at the petite girl standing on the opposite side of the bar looking at her fingernails. With a snarl of rage, the man charged at the woman, only to suddenly trip over his own feet, as if stumbling onto something invisible. The strawberry-chocolate haired girl clutched her belly, pointing at the man and laughing, although she made no sound.

"That's enough!"

Order seemed to fall in the bar as a man—a boy actually, appearing to be around the same age as Pyrrha was—walked out of the bathroom and scowled at the sight.

"I leave for five minutes," The boy sighed, rolling his eyes. "And this is what happens. Children, I swear." He slid over the broken wreckage of tables and chairs and glared at the girl and her compatriot, both of whom actually had the grace to look a little sheepish. With a tired exhale, the boy pinched the bridge of his nose, staving away the incoming headache.

"I think it might be best if you and your friend leave for the night, Neo." There was no objection there from the girl or her green-haired friend, and they stood up to leave, but not before Neo got the parting word, or gesture, and stuck her tongue out mockingly towards the enraged man.

That certainly didn't help the situation, and the man decided to charge again, intent on harming the girl, not caring if Jaune was standing in the way or not.

Pyrrha decided that now was the best time to step in, fluidly getting in front of the brute and reaching out with her semblance, causing it to latch onto his wristwatch and chain necklace, wrenching him subtly backwards, enough to slow down his momentum. This allowed her to grab the man and flip him, slamming him hard onto the ground below.

There wasn't a single sound in the bar when Pyrrha looked up, everyone completely silent. She cast her eyes around for the girl and her friend, who seemed to have disappeared from the premises. Turning to the boy who she assumed was an employee in the bar, she saw him straining to hide a smile, covering his lips with a hand.

"I think you need to take a night off too, Al." The employee said firmly, lips twitching. The man picked himself up, looking at the boy with a complicated expression before grumbling something under his breath, leaving with a slight limp. With the matter calmly sorted out, the patrons in the bar started to move, some paying their bills, some going back to their drinks and others having the generosity to offer help clean the place up for the boy.

"It's a real mess he made there, Jaune." Said one of the customers, who was clasping his hands. "Maybe we can give you a hand." The boy smiled, nodding gratefully.

"Thanks. I thought I would need to close the place down for the night to get this all sorted out." The boy turned his attention towards Pyrrha, smiling invitingly. "Which would be a terrible disservice to our hero right here." Pyrrha felt a little wilting in her chest, thinking that Jaune had figured out who she was.

"Thanks for helping me out there Miss. I'm Jaune, the bartender." He held out his hand, which she gratefully took.

"Pyrra Nikos." She said, before she winced, so caught up in the mood that she forgot to give out an alias. Now she could only wait for the inevitable raising of the eyebrows, and the sparkle in his eyes as he started to gush about who she was.

Instead, she was treated with a nod of the head. "It's nice to meet you Miss Nikos. What'll you have?" Pyrrha blinked in confusion.

"You don't know who I am?" She blurted out, not comprehending. This was when she received her eyebrow raise, except this one was of the questioning kind.

"Should I?" Jaune asked, before continuing, "Even if I did, it wouldn't change anything. Everyone's treated equally in this bar." Jaune frowned. "Would that be a problem?" Pyrrha was quick to shake her head.

"No. No! That's not a problem, in fact, that's wonderful!" Pyrrha said in a rush, a big smile adorned on her face. Now that she had the opportunity, she looked around the bar, noticing that there were no television sets on hand, or anything that was considered technology for that matter, except the lights and the ceiling fans. Other than that, it looked like any typical bar, except maybe a little more worn down than most.

"Yeah, there's no tech around here." Jaune said, catching Pyrrha off-guard by how observant he was. "We like to do things old school around here. If you're coming with a group, talk. If you're here alone, well. At least you've got me for company." Jaune pointed at himself, grinning. "Now, what'll you have?" Pyrrha hesitated.

This was the first time she'd ever been in a bar. She'd never really been the drinking type before so… she had to admit she was sort of lost. She should've brought someone over, like Yang, who was very good with her drinks. Struggling to think of anything, she remembered something that Yang had talked to them about, something that made every girl perk their ears up to listen about.

"Can I have a, um, body shot?"

Jaune's jaw dropped, his eyes wide, surprise evident on his face. Pyrrha blushed, having a feeling that wasn't something she was supposed to be ordering.

"I'm sorry." She blurted out. "That was… not the right choice, was it?" Jaune slowly shook his head, mouth still open. This made the girl uncomfortable, caused her to resort to uncomfortably fidgeting while waiting for Jaune to come to. Finally he did, by bending over and bursting out laughing.

"Oh man, you probably don't even know what that means, do you?" He breathed out, tears in his eyes. Pyrrha meekly shook her head, shrinking into herself form the attention that she was getting. Jaune noticed, and collected himself, waving away any questioning glances thrown their way.

"Oh I'm sorry for making a scene Miss Nikos. That was just too funny. Let me tell you what a body shot is, so that you won't make that mistake again."

"Thank you. And please, call me Pyrrha." She said in relief. Jaune smiled and nodded, before leaning over and whispering into her ear, making them warm up, along with her cheeks. When she finally heard what a body shot _was_ however, she warmed up real fast, face completely red.

"I. Ah. Oh."

Jaune simply nodded, smiling. "Yeah." He walked over towards the bar, gesturing her to take a seat at the counter, which she did numbly, mortified that she had tried to order something like that.

"Now that all of your strange wants have been put away," Jaune said with a hint of laughter in his voice. "How about something a little more sane to drink?" Pyrrha nodded.

"I've never really drank before." Pyrrha admitted.

"That much I gathered."

Pyrrha winced, but carried on, knowing that Jaune was just teasing her. "So could you just… get me something? Anything's fine." Jaune looked at the girl intently, before nodding, turning around.

"Alright then. One 'anything's fine' for the lovely lady in the front." Jaune was used to playful dialogue between his female (and some male) customers, but Pyrrha had never been treated that way, so she blushed hard again, her heart beating fast. She might not even need that drink at this point.

"I'm guessing you don't want anything too hard for your first time, and probably nothing too bitter either." Pyrrha nodded along with what Jaune said as he pulled out a mug and grabbed a tap, filling it with dark yellow liquid, frothing at the top. "This should do it. It's a good beer for people just getting into alcohol. Moderate on the kick, and tastes more like lemonade than beer. Try it out."

Pyrrha nodded gratefully, before primly lifting the cup up to her lips, taking a small sip. It wasn't too bad. It's not as bitter as she thought it would be, seeing as how everyone always complained about how their first beer was always something that made their faces scrunch up. She liked it.

"This is good." Pyrrha assented, making Jaune smile and nod.

The bartender excused himself, leaving the counter for a second to deal with the other guests, chatting them up and serving them drinks, laughing and going along with their antics as well as thanking the guys who helped him sort the place back into proper shape. Pyrrha's eyes continued to follow him, both hands on her mug and periodically lifting it up to her lips, gradually taking bigger and bigger drafts.

When he returned back in front of Pyrrha, she had finished her beer, setting it down and politely requesting another. Jaune nodded, grabbing the mug and placing it into a nearby sink and grabbing a fresh glass, filling the mug back up.

"So, what brings you here to this part of town?" Jaune asked, grinning. "You did say this is your first time coming to a bar. Must be quite the occasion."

Pyrrha sighed, accepting the drink with a thank you. "Not exactly. I've been… having troubles. With my team. I'm a student at Beacon." She explained to him, to which he nodded, smiling gently.

"I seem to be getting a lot of people from Beacon. The school must be really tough to drive everyone there to drink." Jaune joked, making Pyrrha laugh.

"Well, it is quite the school." Pyrrha conceded. "But sometimes it's just the students there making it harder on ourselves." She sighed again, staring at the mug, which had about half of its drink left in it. With a quick decision, Pyrrha brought the mug up all the way, finishing the rest of it in one go. Jaune nodded his head, impressed by the feat as she placed the glass down, exhaling in a cathartic manner.

"Mmm. Sounds like it. What's bothering you?" Jaune asked, grabbing the mug and repeating what he did minutes ago, handing her a fresh glass. Pyrrha frowned, looking into the beer.

"No one seems to get me for who I am. Everyone seems to look at me like—like Pyrrha, the four-time champion of the Mistral Tournament, and not Pyrrha, the girl who just wants to make some real friends." Pyrrha quickly raised her glass up to her face, shielding Jaune from the sight of her tearing up. She was surprised to feel a hand on her shoulder, and a soft smile on Jaune's face when she met his eyes.

"I'm guessing that your teammates don't help with the problem either?" Jaune continued to coax out Pyrrha's troubles, so that she would them, instead of wallowing in the memories. Pyrrha nodded, eyes downcast.

"Yes. I mean, they aren't gushing fans towards me," Pyrrha was quick to correct. "But they have this sort of… look. In their eyes, like they expect more of me, and it just feels like they don't see me for who I am." A heavy sigh. "Like my partner. I mean, I like my partner." Pyrrha said, shaking her head. "She's nice, polite. But she seems to be quite the fan, despite her appearance."

"Her appearance?"

Pyrrha nodded. "She looks regal and refined, but she's almost hyper when she talks to me. Like she's nervous, or something. She's quite the Huntress though, handy with the spear." Jaune nodded, and they both fell silent, as Pyrrha discovered her glass empty once again. Jaune, not one to waste time, gently pried her fingers from the handle and replaced the drink with another one, where Pyrrha robotically lifted it up to her mouth.

"Sounds rough." Jaune said sincerely. Pyrrha nodded.

"It is. I mean, I'm sure there are teams out there that can't stand each other. I just…" Pyrrha struggled to find the right words to express herself.

"Hey no, I get it I really do." Jaune pat her hand, smiling reassuringly. "Don't ever compare your problems to everyone else's. Every problem is different, and different people have different ways of experiencing it and dealing with it. The only thing that matters if it it's a problem to you." Jaune pointed at her. "And if it is, then it is important." Jaune shook his head. "Never marginalize your problems." There was a pregnant pause before Jaune hurriedly added to his statement.

"It's a given of course, that no one likes someone who constantly complains about their problems too, so… don't do that either." Pyrrha snorted in amusement, before groggily remembering that she was the one complaining right now.

"Am I… is that what I'm doing right now?" She asked meekly. Jaune barked a laugh in response, shaking his head.

"Absolutely not. Besides, I have a feeling that you don't talk much about your problems in the first place." Pyrrha shook her head as a no.

"That's the first step."

"Huh?" Pyrrha squinted, trying to understand what he was saying.

"That's the first step." Jaune repeated. "Communication kills. Or I guess lack of communication kills." Jaune gently laid his hands on hers, bringing blood into her head, and causing her to look up at him.

"Have you ever sat down with your partner… your team, and I don't know, talked with them?"

"Well," Pyrrha started uncertainly. "We have talked about things before. Like missions and homework… and stuff…" Jaune shook his head.

"No, I mean like getting to know each other. Personal problems and insecurities. Hopes and dreams?" Jaune knew from the blank look that Pyrrha was giving him that her team hadn't done any of that. "What I'm trying to say is that this is _your_ team. People you'll be spending years with, people you're going to have to trust with your life. How are you going to do that if you guys don't even know where your favorite place to go get a drink is?" Pyrrha laughed a little at that, but still listened very closely to Jaune.

"You guys need to talk to each other. Tell each other what makes you uncomfortable. Like say, being treated like an idol when you want to be treated like a normal person." Jaune pointed out. Pyrrha took a second to understand, but she did, opening her mouth a little and making a sound that meant she understood. Jaune nodded.

"Exactly. So when you get back to Beacon—or tomorrow morning when you're sober and have a clear mind—make sure to sit your team down and talk to them. You'd probably be surprised about how much their willing to go to bring the team together. They're probably all thinking the same thing you're thinking."

Pyrrha looked into Jaune's eyes, smiling hopefully. "Really?" Jaune shrugged.

"Probably. I'm not the one that actually knows the team though. The question here is if _you_ think they'll do the same."

The lonely girl thought about her teammates, about the energetic carefree girl and about her quiet childhood friend, about her own partner, who greatly respected her, even if she fawned over Pyrrha a tad too much. Pyrrha nodded.

"Yes, I believe they would listen to me." Jaune exhaled in faint amusement.

"I haven't known you for a long time Pyrrha, but I have a feeling they'll do more than just listen."

Another blush from the girl as she lifted the glass into her mouth, smiling while she finished the last bits of her drink. Placing the mug down, she shuffled around in her seat, before procuring the right amount of lien for the drinks, as well as a hefty tip.

"Thank you, Jaune. You're quite wise, you know that?"

Jaune gave a sad smile, nodding. "Have to help people out somehow." He said, shrugging dismissively as he took the money with a nod of thanks. Pyrrha couldn't help but feel a little warm inside, looking at the boy in front of her. If only he was her partner, a voice in the back of her mind said. If only we had known him sooner, said a more rational part of her mind.

"Well, would you won't mind if I come again every once in a while? I do enjoy talking to you Jaune."

The bartender laughed at that, nodding his head.

"Hey, how about this. You can come in whenever the bar's open, so long as you bring lien with you. Maybe a drinking partner or two. I hate to see someone like you so alone. How's that sound?"

Pyrrha's smile couldn't get any wider than at that moment, nodding eagerly.

"That sounds grand."


	7. Glass of Milk

**A/N: I have my eye on a new graphics card. O.o. Hoo boy, more money to fork up. Sigh. Huge thanks to Kegi Springfield who also drew fanart for the story! Woo hoo! It's goin' big boiz! XD This week's drink: Lumumba!**

 **I should make a game and release the name for who Jaune's taking care of this week, so that I get a bunch of PMs guessing what drink Jaune'd make for them. Eh, but that would spoil half the fun ;)**

 **These chapters keep getting longer and longer. By chapter 10, I'll probably be writing like 10k words or something. Smh. THERE ISN'T EVEN PLOT HERE GODAMMIT. -.- Anyways, Enjoy!**

 **BLANKET STATEMENT** **:** I really appreciate that you guys like this enough to request for specific chapters. But the overall answer will be no. I _have_ a plan for how this story will go, and I don't need to worry about fitting in requests either. I'm not trying to be mean, I just… can't. Sorry!

 **Guest: The Breach will be… interesting to write.**

 **flowslikepixelz: He… didn't make it past initiation. He wasn't even admitted in.**

 **aLamePunster: Yeah it's a typo XD And right, I'm not focusing on plot too much exactly for that reason. This is more like a character study than a story if I'm completely honest XD**

 **Guest 2: Well, I wasn't planning on stopping my updates any time soon.**

* * *

If Jaune hadn't seen her around her before, he would've told her politely, but firmly to leave the bar. However, he _did_ know her. It's just, well, usually she was with someone else.

"Hello there Yang's little sister." Jaune greeted, drawing out a small frown from the brunette girl.

"Hey there Jaune. You do know my name's Ruby, right?" Jaune nodded, face drawn into a serious expression, but his eye shining with mirth.

"Of course. Ruby Xiao-Long."

"Ruby Rose!"

"Ah, right, right. How could I forget?" Jaune raised his head to the heavens, gesturing semi-dramatically to the ceiling. It wasn't much, but it made the girl snicker, and Jaune knew that she wasn't really mad at him for teasing her. With the small show finished, Jaune returned to his duties, grabbing a small washcloth and focusing on a stain from yesterday night, where he had spilled some whiskey.

Even Jaune made mistakes, sometimes.

"So little lady, what brings you here?" He knew she wasn't the type that liked it when he gave her nicknames like that, so he didn't even need to look up to see Ruby's pout, and the whine that came after.

"I'm only two years younger than you Jaune! I'm practically a grown woman!"

"Right, right, of course there, Miss Rose." Jaune adopted the tone he had when treating more posh customers, adding in a little bow as he said the words. "Now, how may this humble bartender aid you?" Jaune could see Ruby fighting down the urge to jump at him, banging against his chest and whining some more, instead drawing in a breath, mentally counting to ten, and raising her chin in an almost pompous way.

Huh. Wonder where she learnt that.

"Today, _I_ will have a _real_ grown-up drink." Ruby said, nodding with pride. Jaune raised an eyebrow at her.

"I don't think so, little Rose." Ruby slumped instantly, back to whining.

"Why not?" She said, drawing the last word out. Jaune held up a hand, briefly excusing himself from her company, having seen one of the men occupying the tables gesture to him. It didn't take long to take care of the gruff looking man, who nodding in silent thanks as he went back to his drink.

When Jaune returned, Ruby had procured several lien cards and placed them on the table, sorted by color.

"I have money!" She declared, as if that would solve any problem she came across. Hm. Someone seemed to be teaching her all the wrong ways of handling a conversation.

"It's not the money that I'm worried about Ruby." Jaune said gently, gathering the lien up and pushing it back to her. Ruby looked as if she was on the brink of throwing a tantrum.

"Then what is it!?" She cried out. Jaune shook his head shrugging at her.

"Well for one, people who try to order a drink by calling it a 'grown-up drink' is still a few years away from being able to drink anything besides milk and water. Second of all, the more you whine, the more likely it is that you're going to be absolutely _unbearable_ when you're drunk. And I am not dealing with that by myself. No thanks." Jaune said, shaking his head. "If you want a 'real grown-up drink', then I suggest you come back with your big sister and order one."

Ruby looked away, fists clenched as she mumbled something. Jaune leaned a little closer, not catching what she had said.

"Say that again kiddo?"

Ruby drew in a harsh breath, before shouting out, "Yang won't let me drink!" Which caused Jaune to nod understandingly, leaning back from the force of the shout.

"Well then, if Yang won't let you drink, I'll be the last person to give you one. _I_ , for one, like my spine exactly where it is, thank you very much."

There was silence as Ruby didn't say anything, face obscured as her head was tilted downwards, her gaze focused on her lap. Jaune tried not to feel too bad, knowing that it was for the greater good of his self-preservation, and went back to rubbing the damned stain out of his counter. It wasn't until he heard the first sniffle that he looked back up again, finding a few tears dripping from her face.

Oh.

Well now he felt like a real heel.

It didn't take much longer for Jaune to crumble, and having seven sisters pulling the same tricks on him didn't help whatsoever. With a sigh filled with regret, Jaune finally relented.

"Fine. Don't cry there Rubes, I'll make you a drink."

Her head snapped up, eyes completely clear of any sign of redness, her smile beaming. "Really? You already said so, so you can't go back on your promise!" Again Jaune sighed, nodding to her. Played like a fiddle, like always. He always had a soft spot for the girl.

"Alright, alright. One drink. And one drink only." Jaune said, holding up the solitary finger, eyes serious. Ruby nodded eagerly, almost vibrating off of her seat in excitement. Jaune couldn't help it. He smiled at the display, not able to force it down with how cute the girl was being. It'll almost make insuring his spine against angry older sisters worth it.

Almost.

"Alright then Ruby, what'll you have?" Jaune asked, slipping into his bartender mode. A customer was a customer after all. Ruby puffed up her chest, mouth open, inhaling to call out the drink of all her 'grown-up' and 'adultly' desires… before deflating again, looking a little sheepish.

"Uh, actually, I don't know."

A single eyebrow rose on Jaune's face, arms crossed sternly. "You don't. Know?" Ruby giggled nervously, scratching the back of her head, eyes casting an innocence that was almost blinding to Jaune. Exhaling from his nose, Jaune tried not to just drop the act and make Ruby leave, so that Jaune could tell Yang that this was just a harmless joke, that he actually _wasn't_ planning to give her little innocent sister alcohol. But alas.

A promise was a promise.

"Alright then. I guess we're going to have to start from scratch. Anything you would particularly _like_ in your drink? Cherries, strawberries, ice cream—"

"Milk!"

Jaune paused, mouth open halfway, stopping his recitation of things that went well with drinks. "Milk?" Came the incredulous question, a confused look on his face. Ruby simply nodded, swinging her feet back and forth, as if wanting to remind him of how young she was.

"Let me get this straight. You want… milk. In your… 'adult' beverage." Ruby nodded again, not understanding why Jaune had to repeat that. She was pretty sure she didn't stutter when she said that. Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering to himself.

"Right. Hold on a sec." He said to her, before turning around and crouching to grab a glass, as well as opening the small fridge underneath of him, grabbing a container. Ruby turned and twisted, trying to see what he was making, but couldn't see past his upper body, blocking the drink. Finally he turned around, handing Ruby an almost pearly white drink, with a large piece of ice in the middle.

Ruby stared at it with something akin to reverence, hands reaching out to grab the drink. Jaune didn't say a word, letting her throw the liquid in the glass back quickly, emptying the contents in seconds. Placing the glass down, a loud sigh of satisfaction left her lips, as well as leaving a cute little milk mustache on her lips.

"Wow, this tastes just like milk! I knew it wasn't as bad as it sounded! What is it?" Ruby asked, beaming at her accomplishment. Jaune didn't say anything for a second, letting her bask in her achievements before metaphorically taking a needle to her bubble.

"It's milk." Came the amused response.

A pause filled the air before Ruby looked back at Jaune, a look of bemusement set on her face. "Milk?" She asked, hoping that Jaune was joking. The bartending boy nodded, looking at the glass.

"With ice." He added in helpfully, smiling at her.

Then came the pout, before Ruby turned it into a glare that reminded Jaune of when Yang had decided to take the beat down to a rude customer, all fire and fury. Jaune's spine suddenly cried out, not wanting to leave its owner so early in life.

"Uh. I'll go make you that drink now." Jaune said quickly, turning around to grab a bottle of cognac from the shelves. Ruby muttered angrily behind him, something about 'stupid Jaune' and how she wished Yang had taught her the family secret technique of 'tearing spines out of bodies', something he rightly ignored.

With a shot of chocolate liquor and the cognac into the mixer and some fresh ice, Jaune topped the rest of it with milk and went to shaking, turning the shaker over and over with practiced hands. Ruby's gloomy expression cleared up, awe filling her face as she watched him work, as if he was performing a dance. Like always, with such practiced motions came the freedom of conversation for Jaune.

"So little one, why'd you choose now of all times to order this drink? You've been here half a dozen times now, with no complaints."

Ruby sank into her seat a little, before she rested her head against the bar counter, the pout on her face more noticeable than ever.

"I got into a fight with my partner."

"Your partner?" Jaune asked, opening the shaker up and pouring it into the ready glass. Ruby nodded, dejected.

"Yeah. Her name's Weiss Schnee, and she comes from this big fancy-pantsy family in Atlas. She always acts so grown-up and stuffy, like her name makes her older and wiser or something." Jaune nodded, pushing the glass towards Ruby after placing it under a coaster.

"Oh thank you!" Ruby said, about to tilt the glass up and down it like she did the last one, before Jaune laid a hand on her wrist, looking at her with a serious face. He's probably being a bad friend to Yang for letting Ruby drink, but by Dust he was going to make sure she did it responsibly.

"Drink this slowly. In sips." He said firmly, making sure Ruby understood before letting go of her wrist. With the gentle command in mind, Ruby lifted the glass up, sipping tentatively. Placing the glass down, Ruby's face twisted in a horrified grimace, before swallowing the rest of the drink.

"That was… so good." Ruby managed to say, struggling to put the taste of the drink past her taste buds. Jaune hid a smile behind his hand for a moment, before he could completely collect himself.

"Good, I'm glad you liked it. Make sure to finish it all in small sips now. Don't want to waste drinks here." Jaune nodded, face serious. It was true that he hated seeing drinks still half-full, but he didn't hate it as much as he implied to Ruby, who assumed that Jaune _really_ hated it.

"Right. Of course. Can't waste this… delicious drink? What's the name of it, by the way?" So that she would never order it again, she added in the back of her mind. Jaune nodded, tapping the glass.

"It's called Lumumba. Interesting drink. Picked it up a while back from reading an exotic drinks book. Fun stuff."

"Yeah. Fun. Cool." Ruby lifted the drink again, taking another sip, almost gagging at the strange taste. "Delicious." She managed to croak out. Jaune was so close to losing it at the moment, dying on the inside from laughter.

"Hm. Well, I didn't realize you would like it so much. Maybe I _will_ make you another one, two's certainly not going to get you all that drunk."

"That's fine!" Came the hurried reply, Ruby's silver eyes wide and frantic. "That's, like, totally fine Jaune! I, uh, don't want to get into any more trouble than I already am with Yang, so one drink will be enough!" Jaune pretended to look put down, nodding his assent. Yang should be thanking me for convincing Ruby not to drink for another few years, he thought with a mischievous grin.

Ruby tried to gather up the courage to take another sip, before remembering that she had a story to tell, to her immense relief.

"I was telling you about my argument with Weiss!" Jaune nodded, letting her stall for a bit. At the very least, the ice should help diffuse the bitterness of the drink enough for her to stomach the rest later.

"Well, I was trying to lead the team in a team building exercise, and I uh, accidentally got Weiss and Blake trapped between a lot of Grimm. Like, a whole ton." Ruby said in emphasis. Jaune nodded, eyebrows high.

"Wow, a whole ton huh? How many's that?"

Ruby shrugged, trying to remember. "Like, sixty to a hundred of them." Jaune nodded, slightly disappointed that she didn't just spread her arms wide and go 'like thiiiiis many'.

"Well, Me and Yang—er, Yang and I bailed them out, but when we got back to Beacon, Weiss instantly started yelling at me!" Ruby's eyes got a little watery. "She said that I had called it out wrong, and I was too much of a kid to see the big picture! And the worst part is," Ruby sniffled a little, making Jaune's heart tug. "Yang and Blake didn't even say anything to defend me! It was almost like they were siding with Weiss!"

Jaune looked at Ruby, who hadn't looked more like a little girl than at this moment, sniffling, her legs barely touching the ground when she sat on the bar stool, a drink that looked more like milk than anything else in her hand. It reminded him of an image that made him chuckle, to Ruby's horror.

"You agree with them!" She accused, tears threatening to fall. Jaune was quick to correct himself, shaking his head.

"No, that's not it Ruby. You just reminded me of one of my little sisters is all. She always wanted to act all grown-up, and any time you tried to criticize her, she always accused the person of treating her as a child, even though she was one." Jaune ended up saying, laughing at the long gone memory of the little girl, caked in his mom's makeup, crying because she was being scolded.

Ruby didn't see this memory of course, and frowned at Jaune. "It still sounds to me like you think I'm a kid." Jaune sighed, nodding.

"That's because you are a kid Ruby. We all are." Jaune looked around the room quickly, making sure there wasn't anyone that needed him for the next few minutes before returning to his conversation with Ruby. "You have to remember that we're young. Everyone, from Yang to your partner Weiss, and even me. We've got a lot to learn, and a lot more to develop before we're all 'grown-ups'." Ruby was still frowning, unsure what Jaune was trying to say.

"What's going to make you more 'grown-up' than everyone else at this point is how you act." Jaune said seriously, eyes looking straight at hers. "When someone whines and pouts and argues over pointless things—they're kids, no matter how old the person actually is. Weiss… when she criticizes you and points out your mistakes, that's something you should take to heart, something you should use to improve yourself, not something to argue about. Given though, Weiss doesn't sound very mature either if she has to bring up your age and how much of a kid you are."

Ruby was starting to get it, nodding along .

"So what you're saying is that… I shouldn't have argued?" Jaune nodded.

"Exactly that. The mature thing to do would be to acknowledge the flaws that she pointed out, and reassure her that you'll work on them in the future. Not only is that the right thing to do to avoid an argument, it's also going to surprise her enough that she'll really respect you for it. If she's anything like her bigger sister that is." Jaune said the last part quietly under his breath.

Ruby nodded again, face filled with thought at the advice given to her.

"Wow Jaune. That's… a good idea." Ruby admitted, making Jaune grin, and lean onto the counter in a self-confident manner.

"Of course it is. It's one of my ideas, isn't it?" Jaune said jokingly, bringing Ruby to another giggling fit. After she calmed down, she took another, more proper swig of her drink, appreciating the taste a little more.

"So, is that what your sister did? Did she learn how to be mature from you?" Ruby said teasingly. Jaune's smile dropped from his face for a second, before a smaller, sadder smile replaced it.

"She's, ah. No. She never had the chance to do so." Jaune looked at the girl's eyes, which held confusion at his words. "She's dead." Jaune said flatly, ignoring the pain in his chest when he said so. Ruby's eyes went wide and her hands traveled upwards to cover her mouth.

"Oh. I'm so sorry Jaune." Ruby said hurriedly, something Jaune was quick to reassure was alright. They fell into an awkward silence, which Ruby desperately tried to fill with another question.

"So. You're uh, other sisters must've been pretty devastated huh?" Ruby winced, knowing that wasn't going help either. Jaune's body completely froze, cloth in his hand, expression stuck. Finally he moved, more robot than human, the dance-like grace he had replaced with wooden movement.

"They're… gone too. My whole family in fact. Dead." Jaune finally let out, forcing a harsh chuckle, trying to play it off as nonchalantly as possible, which didn't work when he stood frozen there, moving nothing but his mouth.

It was clear that Ruby felt terrible. Jaune went out of his way to help her and there she was, bringing up painful memories. She deflated, fingers messing with the coaster in front of her.

"I'm sorry I brought it up." Came the meek apology, which was enough to snap Jaune out of his spiral of self-loathing and despair. When he turned, for a brief moment he saw the little girl that he used to protect, take care of. The one that demanded he teach her how to act like him, the girl who hugged him goodnight every evening.

 _Hazel._

"It's alright Ruby." Jaune said, a realer smile on his face at this point. There wasn't a use crying now. That was later. He still had a bottle of whisky tucked away somewhere. "I've moved on." Lie. "I'm learning to be happy without… without my family." Lie. "It's fine." Lie.

Ruby looked closely at the boy, and through a shining intuition, she frowned. She knew in her heart that he was lying. To her and to himself. But, as she remembered his advice earlier on, she didn't try to weedle it out of him. She didn't want to force him to relive a past he wasn't ready for. The best she could do… the best she could do was…

"I… know what it's like to lose someone you love." Ruby started. "My mom died when I was young. It… it was hard. I can't imagine what it's like to lose everyone in your family." Her sister Yang. Her dad Taiyang. That would crush her, and yet, Jaune still carried about like nothing ever happened. He was so strong, Ruby thought. "But if you ever need to talk to someone, I'm here. And I know that Yang would say the exact same thing."

Jaune smiled at the girl who tried her very hardest for the people around her. Jaune reached out and ruffled her hair, making her cry out in indignation.

"Thanks Rubes." Jaune said with a heartfelt tone, making Ruby stop her struggling, smiling at him.

When he pulled his hand back, the spell that bound them close broke, the easygoing smile back on Jaune's face, Ruby's feet back to swinging back and forth below the bar stool. Jaune pointed at the half full glass, the ice having long melted already .

"How about you finish your glass now and get back to your teammates, talk it out amongst yourselves? Maybe be the bigger woman and apologize first?" Ruby didn't seem very keen on that idea, but nodded anyways, knowing that Jaune was just looking out the her. She reached for the glass before wincing, looking up at Jaune hopefully.

"Actually, could I just have a glass of milk instead?"

Jaune smiled wide, nodding.

"Glass of milk, coming up."


	8. Tin Heart

**A/N: Writing supporting and minor characters is probably going to be the hardest thing to do in this story. There's just not enough about them to really… expand upon. Makes me feel like I'm just pulling out problems that aren't there to make Jaune address them. This chapter probably took the longest for me to write. I pretty much spent a whole day on this one, with like, 12 breaks in between. Sigh. It's weird. One moment it'll take hours to write 400 words… then I'll write 2,500 words in half an hour. Oh well. Let me know what y'all think! Enjoy!**

 **On an** _ **Important Note**_ **: Next week'll be Thanksgiving, and I won't be uploading any chapters during that week. I'll start uploading again the week after, starting with chapter 31 for** _ **As I Shout**_ **on the 28** **th** **. Hope everyone that's, uh, American enjoys their break!**

 **Guest: Thanks!**

 **Guest 2: NO! There are no ships sailing anywhere in this story. Yet.**

 **D: Yeah, it's like I'm trying to make a complicated character or something.**

 **Guest 3: I am planning on doing a chapter for everybody eventually. It'll be interesting to write about Nora and Ren.**

 **Guest 4: Thanks!**

* * *

If there was one thing that Atlas wasn't known for, it would definitely be subtlety.

Just the resounding noise of boots on pavement was loud enough to shake Jaune awake, who was having a slow day behind the bar. Opening his eyes blearily, Jaune winced, clutching his head and straightening up, wondering what was happening outside of the bar. When the doors opened and revealed General Ironwood, Jaune was quick to hide the open bottle of whiskey on his counter, and smiled wide, trying not to throw up from the glaring lights.

"General Ironwood. I uh, I didn't realize you were coming today." Jaune said weakly, coughing a little into his hands and straightening his tie. The Atlas man stood rigidly, an orange-haired girl almost hiding behind him as James turned to the soldiers that accompanied him, nodding to the group. With a quick salute, they turned and marched out, making everything inside the bar rattle under the pressure of their rhythm.

"Jaune," the General said seriously, looking at the unkempt boy with a bit of surprise. It wasn't often that anyone could describe the bartender behind the counter as anything but immaculate, always dressed perfectly and ready to serve the next customer.

This Jaune, however, had his hair rumpled, eyes bloodshot, and missing his vest, which was thrown haphazardly onto a nearby bar stool.

"Is everything alright Jaune? You don't look so well."

The boy nodded, keeping the smile on his face. "Yeah, I'm fine." Moving to the side, Jaune grabbed a bottle of vodka, pouring it into a waiting cup. Looking at the glass, Jaune paused, frowning at the glass. This went on for almost a good minute, until General Ironwood was tempted to simply grab the glass and drink out of it.

Jaune suddenly shook his head, grabbing the drink and putting it under the counter, muttering something about 'forgetting to clean the glasses' and shuffling off to find a new shot glass for the man standing in front of him, who looked bemused.

"There you go. Sorry, it's been a… busy day." Jaune said halfheartedly, waving around at the bar. James turned to look around, spotting literally no one around except for him and the girl he came with.

"I can see that."

Jaune nodded listlessly, shoving the glass forward so quickly that some of the liquid sloshed out. "I'll clean that later." Jaune automatically responded, before the general could actually comment. The man decided not to say anything, raising the drink to his lips and taking a sip, before his eyes widened, placing the drink back down and looking at Jaune.

"Are you sure… this is vodka?" The man asked carefully, looking at the boy. Jaune stared at him in confusion, before taking the glass and sniffing it. Realizing that he had messed up on the drink, his cheeks grew a faint red as he turned away from the customer and grabbed another glass.

"Sorry," He said sheepishly, "Mistralian vodka isn't what you wanted is it? I'll uh, go get the right one."

General Ironwood reached out to take a hold of Jaune's hand, stopping him in his tracks. Jaune turned to face the concerned look on the General, Jaune's calm mask cracking a little under his sight.

"Jaune. You know that you can tell me if there's something going on with you, right?"

The boy froze, looking at the man with an expression of reluctance, a touch of anger, and… maybe a splash of vulnerability. The look disappeared quickly though, and Jaune smiled, shaking his head and firmly pulling his hand out of the James's grip.

"Thank you, James." Jaune said, for once not addressing the customer, but a friend who he bonded with months ago. "I… visited… my—" Jaune looked like he was having a hard time speaking, and actually gave up, twisting out another smile. "I'm having a rough day is all." He finally managed. James frowned at the overt backtracking that Jaune had just done, but didn't want to push, simply nodding and accepting the new drink from Jaune, taking a sip to make sure it was actually Atlas vodka this time. Jaune stood there, eyeing James to make sure that everything was up to par, breathing a sigh of relief when the man nodded affirmatively, placing the drink back down. With that hurdle out of the way, and everything starting to feel a little normal to Jaune again, he focused his attention towards the girl standing behind the general, who was looking at him with curious eyes.

"And who's this?" Jaune said warmly, smiling a more natural smile for the girl. General Ironwood clapped his hands once, nodding as he stepped aside, almost displaying the girl to Jaune.

"This is Penny. Penny Polendina." James almost seemed to puff his chest out in pride when he said that. "She's going to be participating in the Vytal Tournament in a few months, and I wanted to introduce her to you." Jaune nodded, holding out his hand.

"Hey there Miss Polendina. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The girl looked at him curiously, eyes shining before turning to the general with curious eyes.

"I did not realize that bartenders also had to be intoxicated when they were doing their jobs." She said, making Jaune wince in surprise. General Ironwood turned his gaze to the guilty looking boy, finally starting to put more pieces together.

"They don't, Penny. At least, they aren't supposed to."

Jaune seemed to shrink into himself a little bit, but was quick to defend himself. "I was about to close up anyways. There wasn't anyone coming in today anyways so, I mean… what's the harm?" The general wasn't going to put up with that, shaking his head, ready to reprimand the boy.

"What's the harm? Well, here's an example," James said, pointing to his drink, then the drink that Jaune had taken back from him earlier. "You messed up on an order. You don't ever do that. And it might not _seem_ all that major, but you could give someone something that might _kill_ them. And would you want someone's death to be on your conscious?" Jaune lowered his head, eyes downcast, but angry.

"It's a little too late for that." He muttered quietly. James didn't hear him, but Penny did, frowning noticeably at him.

"Not to mention the fact that it's highly disrespectful to be drunk on a job! Especially if you're a bartender." James wagged a finger sternly at him. "You could be fired for something like this! Or maybe even worse! In fact," James said as something dawned on him. "You're still underage, and you of all people should know that only Hunters and Huntresses are allowed to drink if they're under the age of eighteen."

Jaune held out his hands, trying to stop the flow of words coming out of the man's mouth. "Yes, alright, I get it! I made a mistake. It won't happen again." _While I'm on duty_ , Jaune added in his mind. James still looked a little doubtful, still wanting to scold the boy, but reminded himself that while he thought of them as friends, that didn't mean he should involve himself in Jaune's job.

"Alright then. So long as you don't do it again."

Jaune rolled his eyes, nodding. "Yes dad." Came the sarcastic reply, before he grabbed the shot glass and replaced it with another. It seemed that the lecturing was just enough to bring Jaune out of his hung-over haze, his mind working a little clearer now. James smiled at the snarky reply, glad to know that Jaune was getting back in his groove.

With a bottle of water and some painkillers, it was almost as if Jaune was never drunk, except for the fact that his eyes were still a little red, and his hair was still a mess.

"Alright then, what would the pretty lady want to drink?" Jaune asked, smiling at Penny. The girl looked at General Ironwood, who just shrugged and threw back his shot.

"Give her something strong." Jaune looked up and down at the girl doubtfully.

"Are you sure?" Jaune asked, not moving. The girl looked back at him with a blank expression, before nodding.

"Please give me something strong, Bartender Jaune." Jaune still looked doubtful, before nodded, pulling out his special Hunter brand bottle of alcohol, pouring a glass for the girl. Handing it to her, she smiled, bringing the expressionless face to life. Jaune couldn't help but smile back, nodding.

"You know, you look much prettier when you smile." Jaune said to her. The girl's facial expression froze, before nodding, looking strangely at the drink in front of her. Looking once more at the general, the girl lifted the drink and tasted it, before finishing the rest quickly.

"Amazing! The feeling that my body is reacting to must be the feeling of the alcohol!" She squirmed a bit, her face thoughtful. "The effect is quite stronger than what I would have imagined it to be. After all, shouldn't my Aura have dulled the effects?" Jaune smiled at her, feeling a bit of pride swell.

"Well, that's a good question Miss Polendina." Jaune raised a finger. "Actually, this drink was made specifically for people with Aura. The drink is special in that it fools your Aura into thinking that it's beneficial to the body, and your Aura helps spread it _faster_ , causing for a quicker, stronger buzz that no other drink will give a Hunter." Jaune explained.

"That is very interesting, Bartender Jaune. If I was a regular human being, I'm sure I would be appropriately 'buzzed' at this point."

Jaune opened his mouth, before closing it, nodding. The girl held out her glass, which Jaune refilled, watching her down the drink with gusto.

It was strange, Jaune thought. Usually, anyone that wasn't a complete alcoholic would be red-faced by the first drink, slurring by the second one. Penny on the other hand, simply smiled, holding out her glass for another one.

Jaune gave it to her, but looked uncertainly at General Ironwood, who simply smiled patiently at the girl. Turning back to Penny, Jaune was left gaping when he say her hand him the third empty glass, smiling patiently.

"Wh- what?" Jaune didn't know what to say, just holding the glass and looking back and forth at the girl and the general. He rubbed his eyes, making sure that he still wasn't asleep.

It didn't take much longer before General Ironwood burst into laughter, something Jaune hadn't seen much before.

"Oh, the look on your face Jaune. I've never seen you so lost for words." The general put a hand on Penny's shoulder, patting it gently.

"Penny is an android that Atlas developed, one of the first to be able to generate her own Aura."

"General Ironwood!" Penny protested, her face lined with shock, and a little betrayal. "You promised not to tell anyone about it!" General Ironwood shook his head and continued to pat her shoulder comfortingly, pointing at Jaune, who had an inquisitive look on his face. His expression cleared up and Jaune nodded, smiling.

"That's pretty cool Miss Polendina. I'm guessing that's how you figured out I had been drinking?" The girl looked a little uncertain, looking at Jaune as if waiting for him to recoil in disgust.

Instead, Jaune kept a simple smile on his face, patiently waiting for Penny to reply.

"…Yes. I was able to detect the level of intoxication from a simple body scan. Did you know that you also have a large scar reaching from your shoulder to your—"

"That's pretty cool!" Jaune quickly interjected, placing a hand on hers. With a quick glance over at the general, it was obvious that the overt attempt at stopping Penny from talking was enough to attract his attention. Luckily, General Ironwood's scroll started to ring, causing him to frown when he looked at the contact number.

"I'm going to need to step outside for a bit." The general said, nodding to Jaune, before turning his attention towards Penny. "Do you mind staying with Jaune for a bit?" The girl shook her head, saluting at the man with a smile on her face. With the reassurance that she would be fine with Jaune, General Ironwood stepped out of the bar, talking quickly into his scroll.

With the two of them alone, Jaune decided to press for more information about Penny, his curiosity still not sated.

"So, I'm guessing that even though you're a, uh, not a human, you can still eat and drink?" It was a reasonable assumption, seeing as how he literally saw her drinking something a few minutes back. Penny nodded timidly, eyes flickering back and forth from the ground to his eyes, something surprisingly human-like, compared to how robotic she had seemed before.

"Yes. I have… functions that allow me to do so. To blend in with… the real humans." Each word she said seemed to make her talk quieter and quieter, until the last two words were barely a whisper. Jaune leaned forward, a frown noticeable on his face. Ah. It didn't take much guessing to know that Penny was insecure about her… artificial-ness.

"You don't think you're a real person." Jaune said, bluntly laying it out for her. She jolted at the words, her gaze snapping up to his, fear and nervousness evident in her eyes. They looked at each other for a second, before Penny nodded, her eyes sliding back towards the ground.

Jaune stayed silent for a while, fingers tapping against the countertop.

"Did you like it?" Jaune suddenly asked, causing Penny to look up in confusion. Jaune pointed to the three glasses sitting side by side, the drinks that Penny had drank just moments before. "The drinks that I made. Did you… enjoy them?" Jaune said, clarifying. Penny nodded, unsure of where he was going with this. Jaune nodded, looking through the windows outside at James, who seemed to be arguing about something over on his scroll.

"What do you think of General Ironwood?" Continuing on with his random questioning, Jaune turned back to look at Penny, smiling in an encouraging manner. The girl on the other hand, still couldn't understand why he was asking these questions, but decided to answer him anyways.

"General Ironwood is a strong man. Decisive. Popular in Atlas as someone who can get things done." Jaune shook his head, reaching over to tap her on the nose, making her jerk back in surprise, unused to someone doing something like that to her.

"That's not what I meant." Jaune said, pointing at the man. "How do you _feel_ about him?" Penny opened her mouth, struggling to think of what to say.

"He's… nice."

Jaune nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly at her. "He's a nice guy. Hard sometimes, but only looking out for people because he wants to." With a pause for Penny to absorb what he's saying, Jaune crouched and searched for a glass, pulling one out and pouring some soda into it.

"Here, drink this." Without question, the girl took it and consumed the drink, even giving out a burp in the end.

"How does that taste?"

Penny scrunched up her nose, trying to identify the flavor. "Like… carbonated lemon juice?" Jaune shrugged as if to tell her 'close enough'.

"Good. Great, actually. One last question," Jaune said, pointing at the girl. "How're you feeling right now?"

The girl tilted her head to the side, thinking.

"Nervous." She finally said, looking straight at him. "Confused. A little scared."

Jaune nodded, smiling. "Why?"

"Because I… I've seen how people have treated me when they found out I wasn't… like you." Penny shook her head, the frown growing deeper on her face. "It… it wasn't a good feeling."

The girl sat there, eyes on the ground as she thought about the looks of disgust and horror that some people have given her, something that made her chest twinge in pain. So preoccupied in the feeling, Penny didn't realize that Jaune had stepped away from his bar and had approached her, wrapping her in his embrace. She sat there lifelessly for a second, unsure of what to do before remembering that this was a hug, something that humans did to comfort other humans. Her hands rose up and she gripped onto his shirt, burying her face into him. It felt nice. Warm. Comforting.

"Penny." Jaune started, whispering into her ear. "You _are_ a real person." Penny wanted to object, but Jaune steamrolled over her, continuing to talk. "Sure, you aren't made of flesh and bones, but that's not what's important about being… human. You know what's important?" Jaune drew himself back, looking at the girl in front of him. Penny could feel the sudden loss of warmth as Jaune moved away from the embrace.

"Feelings. Feelings are important." Jaune said, taking a hand and pointing to her chest, where her heart lay. "Concerns. Concerns are important." Jaune lifted his hand and tilted her chin up so that she could see his eyes, warm and accepting. "And of course, opinions are important. Very important." Jaune finally tapped her forehead, smiling. "These are the things that make people human, Penny. You might've been made in a laboratory, but that doesn't make you any less of a person that me or General Ironwood." Jaune pointed a finger at her, face stern, but eyes sparkling with humor. "I mean, you express joy, confusion, hesitation… I can't think of anyone who could do those things and _not_ be called human." Grabbing her by the shoulders, Jaune looked her in the eyes. "Penny, I need you to know something." The girl sat there, transfixed at Jaune. He leaned over again, whispering his words into her ear.

"The most important thing to remember Penny? If you believe you're human, you _are_."

When Jaune withdrew, Penny did something that she never thought she would have done, or even thought was possible for her. She started to cry.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and the tight feeling in her chest loosened up, letting her breathe again. It was a strange feeling, something that she couldn't place in her memory banks. Crying should have meant sadness, but she didn't feel sad. In fact, she felt happy. Very happy.

"Oh no." She said in a small voice, wiping away the tears. "It seems my tear ducts are malfunctioning."

Jaune stepped forwards and embraced her again, resting his head on hers. "No Penny. They're working just fine."

Penny didn't say anything, simply gripping Jaune's shirt again, shaking a little as she let the tears pour out of her.

"I'm sorry Jaune, but I need to leave, Penny—" General Ironwood stopped, looking at the two hugging figures. Jaune pulled away first, looking at the general. Penny simply sat there, rubbing her eyes.

"Is… everything alright?" James asked, concern evident in his voice. Jaune smiled confidently at him, nodding once. Penny also responded, looking up with a teary smile.

"Everything is good, General Ironwood. I am… happy." She turned to look at Jaune with a dazzling _real_ smile and hugged him once more.

"Thank you friend Jaune, for consoling me. I will cherish this moment forever." Jaune laughed sheepishly, holding her gently.

"Anything to help." He said softly.

It didn't take much longer for them to separate and for James to pay the bills, the two of them waving goodbye. Jaune sat on the stool, watching them disappear into the distance before turning back around, facing the shelves of drinks in front of him. Reaching over the bar to grab the open bottle he had hid earlier, he poured a drink for himself, toasting to the invisible bartender in front of him.

"Anything to help." Jaune repeated, downing the whiskey quickly.


	9. For Want of a Hammer

**A/N: You have no idea how much I have to research some of this stuff so that my bartender can be accurate. I'm still a year away from drinking age too XD. Sigh. At least I'll know what to order when I** _ **do**_ **ever go to a bar.**

 **And this chapter, hoo boy, this chapter. Longest chapter ever. On that note, this chapter'll be a little lighter to contrast to the sadder one last chapter… but I dunno, I may just be setting y'all up so I can write a really devastating chapter next week… Shrug. Depends on how sadistic I am that week I guess. After all, it** _ **is**_ **the 10** **th** **chapter.** **Enjoy!**

 **Guest: That's pretty much the goal for all of my stories. Sad, but good. XD**

 **Thorson: Well, you'll get more! Here you go!**

 **Guest 2: No. No no no no no no. We are most definitely** _ **not**_ **'da harem'**

 **Yege: Yay! I mean aw, don't cry. Here's a happier-ish chapter!**

 **Guest: Yay! I** _ **do**_ **try and make these problems as realistic as possible… in the spectrum of Remnant, of course XD And physically being strong…. Shrug. We'll see how it goes ^-^**

 **This story is very very good the character interactions and problems seem like real relatable problems( not in obvious ways of course) I wish that Jaune somehow gets strong physically because too little genuinely good and understanding people become powerful (in real life and in rwby)**

* * *

Jaune had spent seventeen, almost eighteen years on Remnant, and there were a lot of things that he didn't know about. He didn't know how to be a Hunter, he didn't know how he got hired as a bartender at seventeen, and he didn't know why or how he was still in Vale, alive and breathing. There were a few things that he _did_ know for sure though. He knew how to make a mean Strawberry Sunrise, he knew how to deal with problems that people had when they came up to him, he knew how to smile even when he didn't want to.

And he knew that every girl in Vale was freaking _scary_.

One such being strode through the bar, slamming the doors wide open, wearing a mile-wide smile on her face, looking directly at Jaune, who couldn't help but step back at the intensity. All of the patrons looked up to see who was making such a ruckus and quickly made to paying their bills and leaving, preferably through the windows and backdoor, trying to avoid the girl who was blocking the front door.

Jaune stood his ground shakily, but held a calm smile, something that was taught to him to make sure he wouldn't incite the girl more. It seemed to work, as she walked over to the bar without breaking any of the tables, chairs, or the small piano set on the side of the place. She hopped once in place and saluted at Jaune, eyes shining.

"Helloooo Jauney!"

The bartender nodded. "Good afternoon Nora. This is quite the surprise." He craned his neck, waiting for her ever present shadow to walk through the door, but found no one. "Where's Ren?"

Nora giggled at the question, which sent a shiver up Jaune's spine. "Weeeeell, since he usually doesn't let me drink much, I _may_ have gone here while he was busy helping Pyrrha out with something." Jaune blinked rapidly, understanding dawning on him. He was alone. With Nora. The girl who had singlehandedly lifted one of his customers and throw him through a wall.

And these walls were made of _brick,_ damn it. Do you know how expensive replacing brick walls is? Well, Jaune didn't really know because he had taken out insurance for Nora exposure. Nevertheless, every scene of destruction caused by any rowdy Hunter meant closing down the bar for a few days while they got contractors to get the place fixed.

"So, Ren isn't coming… at all?" Jaune asked, hoping that Nora would just laugh and say that she was joking, and that Ren was going to be coming in a few minutes. Instead, all he was treated to was a simple nod and a smile.

"Yep!"

Jaune's head lowered into his hands, sighing. Great.

Nora leaned over and poked him in the shoulder repeatedly, trying to get his attention. "Hey Jaune, hey Jaune, hey Jaune. You gonna make me a drink or what?" His head snapped up, eyes wide.

"Wh- nooo, I'm not doing that!" Jaune shook his head adamantly, even waving his arms in an x pattern. "There is no way I am going to let you drink without Ren. Period. No exceptions, sorry."

The girl pouted, leaning into Jaune's personal space, her head inches away from his. "Why not?! I'm a Huntress, _and_ I can pay! See?" She pulled out a credit card, waving it in front of Jaune's face, who frowned when he read the name on it.

"Nora, this says Ren Lie on it."

"…So?"

Jaune looked at her in exasperation, taking the card out of her hand. "So, you can't pay for your drinks with someone else's money." He said carefully, looking at the girl firmly. Nora opened her mouth, nodding in understanding.

"Ooh, I get it." She said. Jaune slumped his shoulders a little in relief, glad that Nora could see his logic. "So what you're saying is that if I pay with my own money, I can buy a drink!"

Or apparently not.

"No Nora, I'm not going to make you a drink." Jaune repeated.

"Why _not?_ " Nora frowned for a second, a finger on her lips. "Wait, are you out of alcohol?" Suddenly she gasped dramatically, her hands covering her mouth. "You're out of maple syrup!" Leaning to the side, she placed a hand on her forehead, moaning dramatically. "I can't believe you're out of maple syrup!"

"I'm not out of maple syrup! And I'm not out of drinks either!" Jaune said. "Nora, can you please calm down and sit still for a moment?" He asked desperately, trying to find a way to take control of this situation.

Straightening up, Nora sat rigidly, back straight and hands on her lap, eyes creased in determination. "Okay." She said, and didn't move a muscle, simply just… sitting there.

Jaune stood there, a little confused and kind of terrified, never seeing Nora so still before. Fortunately, it didn't last much longer before she broke her posture, giggling and leaning towards Jaune, half her body covering the countertop.

"Did you like that? That was my Ren impression. Did you think it was good?"

"I—"

"I don't think I can really get behind the whole sitting still thing though, seems kind of exhausting." Nora continued to talk, paying no mind to Jaune.

 _Oh Dust. I'm actually dead and I've gone to Hell now. I'm sorry I've been bad. Please take me back_.

"So Jaune, you gonna give me that drink now or what?" Nora stopped midway through her Ren analysis to ask, swinging her feet back and forth under the bar stool. Jaune shook his head again, tiredly.

"No Nora, I will not give you that drink now or what." Jaune said dryly, placing his hands on the counter.

"So when then?" The girl tilted her head to the side, looking at him curiously.

Bartending was supposed to be an easy job, Jaune thought, trying to stave away the headache pounding behind his temple. Just ask for id, ask what drink they want, make the drink, then get the money. It was supposed to be easy!

"Maybe when you come back with your partner I'll give you a drink."

"Ugh, Jaune come on, please? Please? Pleaaaase?"

"No Nora. No. No. Nooooo."

The girl sighed mournfully, leaning back and crossing her arms. "I didn't want to do this Jaune. Remember this never would've happened if you just let me have that drink." Nora pulled out her scroll, opening it up, much to Jaune's panic. He had no idea what was going to happen, but with Nora, nothing would ever end well.

"Ooh, will you look at that!" Nora said gleefully, pressing a button on her scroll. "I didn't realize I had Professor Goodwitch's number on here!" the girl looked up towards the ceiling, tapping her chin. "I wonder if she knows that you've been drinking…" Jaune went into panic, knowing the answer to that question. Anyone else would know the answer to that question as well. After all, Jaune was still here in one piece, wasn't he?

"Alright Nora, you've made your point!" Jaune said desperately, almost lunging to grab the scroll, knocking one of the glasses set in front of him aside. He knew it had been a mistake getting caught by the girl a few weeks back. He was getting reckless with hiding it. First the General, then the peppy crazy-girl. Nora leaned back even more as Jaune jumped for the scroll, making sure the scroll was out of reach, her thumb hovering alarmingly close to the call button. The valkyrie casted a doubtful look at him.

"I don't know, you don't sound very convincing right now…"

Jaune didn't hesitate, bending over and putting his hands together in a pleading motion. "Please Nora, I promise I'll make you a drink if you don't call the professor. You have my word."

Nora made an uncertain sound in the back of her throat, but sat up straight. "Alright then, you better keep your promise."

The bartender let out a sigh of relief, straightening up as well and nodding at her. "Don't worry Nora, I don't break my word. It's a… uh, well, it's something I don't do." Jaune continued on, "What'll you have to drink Nora?"

"The usual, good sir!" Nora declared, pointing up to the sky and… well, cackling was the only word Jaune could use to describe it. He could have sworn that he heard thunder echoing outside as well.

Nodding seriously, Jaune leaned down, grabbing the tools of his trade, opening up the shaker and dropping some ice in. Taking the bottle of maple syrup, he poured twice as much as was needed for a No'Easter, and portioned everything else the regular amount.

"Alright, there you go." Jaune said in resignation, placing the drink in front of her. Nora cheered and grabbed the drink, tossing it back like a shot. When it was placed back onto the counter, nothing was left of the drink, including the ice.

"Another!"

Jaune started to object, but Nora subtly tapped her scroll, causing him to nod submissively, turning around to grab another glass. This was only going to end badly, Jaune knew it. If he doesn't stop her from drinking anymore, he can say goodbye to his bar. Or maybe…

Jaune knelt down, grabbing his Hunter strength liquor and uncapping it, looking at the liquid. It was potent, and probably a little unethical for him to do but… No, it was for the good of his bar, Jaune convinced himself. He was sure that anyone else in his shoes would do the same thing. With the brief uncertainty resolved, Jaune tipped the bottle into a new shaker, about twice as much as a shot's worth. Then he poured another shot's worth in, just in case.

Standing up, he continued his duties, finishing the drink up. He slowed down when Nora frowned however, pointing at the shaker.

"Hey, don't you usually just rinse the shaker and refill it?"

Jaune froze, mouth gaping. "Uh, I do?" He nodded, and scoffed, tossing a hand. "Psh, yeah, but I am… trying out a new technique!" He grinned, trying to play it off as completely natural. Nora wasn't much of an expert at making drinks though, so she shrugged and nodded. All she cared about was that the drink was good. And Jaune made good drinks.

And so, the bartender finished making the drink, placing it in front of her. Nora eyed it suspiciously, not touching the glass yet.

"Hm, there seems to be more in here than usual…" She murmured, before glaring at Jaune. "You're trying to poison me aren't you?" Before Jaune could object, she leapt to her feet, pointing at him. "I knew it! You're trying to take out the competition!"

"Th- what? Competition? Competition for what?" Jaune stuttered, a little bit of sweat forming on his forehead. Nora wagged a finger at him, tutting.

"Don't pretend like you don't know Jaune. You're making sure that you can have all of Ren's pancakes to yourself!"

"…" Jaune didn't even know what to say to that. "What?"

Nora crossed her arms, nodding in a smug fashion. "I know Jauney. I'm surprised I figured it out myself. But now that I'm on to you, don't think you can take my Ren away from me!" Nora paused for a second. "Who I'm just best friends with and has no romantic feelings about." She coughed into her fist, trying to correct her previous statement. "And when I meant 'my Ren', I meant as in 'my best friend Ren', not 'my together-together Ren' or anything, 'cause that's silly and like, whaaat, we're not like that—"

"Nora, please." Jaune held out a hand. "I'm not trying to steal your Ren away from you, and I'm not trying to poison you." _Technically_. "Besides, I've never even had Ren's pancakes before!" Still she held her suspicious gaze, before snapping her fingers, realizing something.

"Alright then! If you haven't poisoned me, then you'll be fine with this, won't you?" Nora grabbed her hammer, extending it and using the long handle to grab a glass from behind Jaune, flipping it up into the air for her to catch. Placing the small tumbler down onto the countertop, she retracted Magnhild and put it back in its holster, before taking the drink that Jaune had made her and pouring exactly half into it, pushing it into Jaune's hands.

"Drink first Jauney, or forever be named a poisoner!"

Jaune looked down at the glass blankly before shrugging, trying to knock down the liquid quickly. He didn't have Aura, so the drink wouldn't affect him much, besides the fact that there was four shots worth of alcohol in it. He thanked the stars that he hadn't decided to put any sleeping powder or anything into the cocktail. He continued to drink until he heard a distinct snap and flash, stopping his movements for a second before placing the glass down, seeing Nora grinning mischievously behind her scroll, taking pictures of him drinking.

"Nora! What're you doing?"

The girl shrugged casually, turning the drink to show Jaune a picture of him drinking on duty. "Just something to keep in case you decide not to let me drink the next time I come."

The boy stood there, unable to think of anything to say, his mouth flapping uselessly. That was… evil! And incredibly clever. Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling forcefully. "Just… drink your stupid drink."

"Okay!" Nora chirped before exhaling the drink, the liquid disappearing faster than Jaune could blink. "Huh. That tasted a little different." The valkyrie frowned, looking into the glass. "Did you put something in it?"

Jaune scrambled to think of something to way, finally settling on, "Did you like it? I'm trying a new mix for your drink. What do you think?"

"Uh…" Nora tilted the glass to the side, letting some droplets slid around it. "It was pretty good actually. I liked it." She said, shrugging.

"Oh. Well. That's a relief then." He said aloud, sighing. Nora nodded.

"Although I will admit, I feel kinda warm right now." She placed a hand on her stomach, before giggling. When she raised her head, Jaune could see the blush rise on her face, her eyes slightly unfocused.

"Well, that's a good thing, isn't it?" Jaune asked cautiously, unsure of what this drunk Nora was going to do. She sighed and let her shoulders fall a little, humming.

"It's a good thing. It feels… really nice. Like… like when Ren hugs me before I go to sleep." Again Nora giggled, her smile growing wider.

"Oh… really?"

Nora nodded, closing her eyes and swaying to the left and right, in a rhythm that she found in her head. "Mhm. Ren's so nice to me. He cares for me all the time, and he makes sure that I don't act out too much. And he's got some pretty solid abs too if I say so myself." Nora whispered to Jaune, who winced and tried to keep that image out of his mind.

"That's, uh, that's great." Jaune said, patting her hand. He didn't expect her to suddenly groan, throwing her arms up into the air though, jumping backwards as she did so.

"Why doesn't he notice me?!" She wailed, before toppling onto the floor. Jaune stood there unmoving, wondering if she had knocked herself out. That thought was banished quickly when she stood up, breathing heavily.

"I don't get it. I don't! I have tried everything! Everything!" Nora sniffled, collapsing onto the table. Jaune… still had no idea what to do. She propped herself back up, looking at Jaune.

"Why doesn't Ren like me? You know, I tried making myself more girly for him and everything!" Nora pointed to her dress. "When we were younger, he'd always talked to that one girl with the dress, so I dressed up too, but he never said anything! And, and," Nora sniffled, wiping away her tears. "When he told me that he liked shorter hair, I made sure to cut it, but… he still didn't notice!" Again she wailed, forehead pressed against the wooden countertop.

Jaune, who normally sprung into action at this point, awkwardly pet Nora's head. If there was one thing he was uncomfortable talking about, it was love. Kind of hard to talk about it when he's never dated anyone before.

"What do you think I should do Jaune?" Nora said, looking Jaune in the eyes.

"I, uh, well—"

"Maybe I should just, maybe I just need to jump him." Nora was getting a little hard to understand, slurring her words a bit. "Maybe I should just be like, 'take me now, baby' and just tackle him… naked." Jaune wasn't a love expert, but somehow he felt like that wasn't the right choice.

"Uh, maybe that isn't such a good idea."

Nora pointed a finger at him. "You're right. We need to- we need to catch him when he's most vulnerable." A snap of the fingers. "I should crawl into his bed. Naked. Yes. That's a- that's a good idea." Nora drunkenly nodded, a hand patting Jaune's. "Thanks for the suggestions Jaune."

"What? No, that is _not_ what I'm suggesting!" Jaune objected, holding onto Nora's shoulders and pulling her up, trying to get her to look him in the eyes again. Taking a deep breath, he tried to find something to say to her so that things wouldn't end in a disaster.

"Nora, just, Nora." Jaune said her name seriously, causing her to snap to attention just long enough for him to give her some quick advice. "You guys have been friends for years. Just tell him. I'm sure things will work out fine."

"That's dumb."

Jaune blinked. "What?" He said, astounded. Nora glared at him, or at least gave him a drunken version of what was supposed to be a glare and shook her head, gesturing feebly in the air with her hands.

"You don't, you don't get it. We've been together," Nora burped, which made Jaune flinch a little, nose wrinkling in brief disgust, "for almost our entire lives now. I can't just _talk_ to him about this."

"Well why not?" Jaune asked, genuinely not understanding. From his viewpoint in life, there wasn't many problems that couldn't be fixed by talking it out amongst friends.

" _Because_ we're friends. Do I _really_ want to risk more than a decade's worth of close friendship for… for something that might not even work?" Nora exhaled, swaying again in Jaune's grip. "You… you don't get it? Don't you have people you don't want to lose? People you've been friends with for years and years now? How would you feel if you made some stupid mistake and… and lost them because of it?"

Jaune didn't speak. Couldn't speak, in fact, stunned by Nora's questions.

The truth of the matter was, he _didn't_ have anyone he would care to lose. Not anymore. But…

"I- I guess I wouldn't be able to do it." Jaune stuttered out, making Nora nod vigorously.

"Exactly. The… the best I can do now is… hope! And, and be happy for him when he finds someone." The words hurt Jaune's chest a little, but he wasn't exactly sure why.

"Even if… even if that someone isn't you?" There wasn't even a brief moment of hesitation in her.

"Even then."

Jaune released Nora, backing up. What Nora said…. Made sense, it did, but.

It just seemed so _unfair_.

"What if Ren… dies?" Jaune asked almost timidly, wincing when Nora glared hard at him. Even the haze of alcohol wasn't enough to block that, and Jaune hurriedly added, "Well, it's a possibility in your line of work." Which Nora accepted grudgingly, murmuring something under her breath. Jaune continued, "Wouldn't you regret it if you never told him?"

The girl did the unexpected, and laughed at Jaune's face, kicking up her feet and throwing her head up to the sky, roaring with amusement. The boy took a bit of offense to that, not sure why what he just said was so funny.

"Jauney, Jauney, Jauney. You're so funny Jauney." Nora shook her head hard, almost whipping it back and forth. When she looked back at him, Jaune didn't expect to see a hardness in her eyes, a steely determination that he had only seen one other time, several months back. This time she was the one gripping onto his shoulders, leaning into his face, Jaune able to smell her breath.

"What makes you even _think_ … that I wouldn't be by his side when he fell?" She whispered harshly. "I know, I. Know… that one day, either of us could die. Like you said, it's a, a part of the job." She shook her head. "But no matter how dangerous, how scary, how impossible it is… I am going to be right beside Ren, until his dying breath." Nora jerked Jaune closer. "And I will be dying with him, because I would _never_ let anything hurt him unless they go through me."

"And he would do the same for me." Came her last words, before she collapsed onto the table, a light snore emanating from her.

Jaune sat there, eyes fixed on the back of her head, mind swirling with thoughts. Here sat a girl who most people would call outrageously wild, energetic, and unpredictable. And unpredictable she was. The blonde had seen a side of Nora that he had never known, of a Nora that had such devotion and loyalty to her friend that she would go to the ends of Remnant for him, and be confident that he would do the same.

 _It's called trust, Jaune_.

The bartender recalled the words of his mother, who smiled when Jaune asked why she never set a curfew, always gave them a second chance when they messed up.

 _When you've formed a bond with someone, you would do anything for them. You'd give up your life for them. And I'd give up mine for yours, my little knight._

Jaune would never forget those words. He remembered them every night, recalled them when things got tough…

Repeated them when he woke up from his dreams, the image of his mom stretched out and telling him to run as she was cut down still fresh in his mind.

 _I'd give my life up for you, Jaune_.

But I wouldn't… I didn't do the same for you, Mom.

Jaune's thoughts were interrupted when the door to the bar swung open, revealing a boy clad in green with a single strand of pink in his hair.

"Hello Jaune." Ren greeted calmly, before looking at the prone Nora. "Thank you for taking care of Nora for me."

Jaune nodded distractedly, eyes swinging from Ren to Nora, looking at the two of them. "You know," Jaune said abruptly as Ren got closer. The boy stopped, looking at Jaune in question. "She… cares a lot about you." Jaune finished lamely, not able to think of anything else to say.

The black-haired boy nodded seriously. "As do I, Jaune. I would give my life for her." He returned his attention to Nora, murmuring quietly to her, shaking her awake slowly.

"R-Ren?" Came the sleepy question, hands groping to find the boy sitting next to her. Ren grabbed her hands, placing them around him so that he could lift her up, carrying her safely in his arms. "Am I your… queen?"

Ren smiled softly, lips crinkling upward. "Of course you are Nora. You are my queen. And I…"

"You're my king." Nora said drowsily, burrowing her head into Ren's shoulder. The boy nodded patiently, looking at Jaune.

"I will pay you back when I have the chance Jaune. For now, I need to get Nora to bed." Jaune waved his hands, telling Ren that he could come back whenever and pay, that there was no need to hurry. The boy nodded in thanks and turned around, striding out of the bar with his queen.

Jaune took a nice long look before turning his attention away, grabbing the journal that he kept under the counter.


	10. Undiscovered Depths

**A/N: I'm bamboozled by the amount of follows this story's gathered. Fastest gain of support I've ever seen for my stories. In a third of the amount of chapters as my two main stories, it's gathered more than two hundred more follows, and is only around thirty more follows before it reaches the thousand mark. Never thought I'd even make it that far. Thank you everybody for taking your time to read and enjoy this story, I appreciate it tons :). Oh that note, I want to especially thank Unjax for helping me beta this chapter, which I'm still pretty unsure of. I mean, I don't know if I've made this chapter realistic at all. Hmph. Leave me a review of what y'all think!**

 **Guest: I can think of a few ways to bring her into the story ^-^**

 **Guest 2: Yay! I mean, aw :)**

 **JSG: Well, Nora isn't really as forward as Marika is. But I can see what you're trying to tell me.**

 **Guest 3: Oh you don't have to worry about that. I love me angst after all. :D**

 **Guest 4: thank you :3**

* * *

 **Beta: Unjax**

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Jaune's been working at his bar for almost a year now, and he's learned that sometimes, the best thing to do is to smile and agree with the customer. After all, the ones that are dissatisfied will more than likely order a drink and leave afterwards, and there's no need to worry about them after that. Sometimes, it's better for him to take a more aggressive stance, for the people that want to make trouble, and are only at a bar to find something or someone to mess with. Those are solved differently, but no less simply. Early on Jaune had to phone the Valean authorities to take care of the problem, but as time went by, he found that more and more problems were solved by his own patrons making sure that the bar that they enjoy their drinks at was a no-trouble zone. After all, who wanted to mess with Hunters and Huntresses?

And sometimes, people walk in with the intention of causing trouble, but left with something else, something… more.

Those cases were much more complicated to fix.

Jaune was in the process of opening up as a boy walked into the room with his chest out and head high. It was unexpected, seeing how even regulars didn't come in for another half-hour. It lett Jaune set up the chairs, ready some of the longer drinks and set up the glasses.

He was tall, even taller than Jaune, which wasn't really as much of an achievement as Jaune would have liked to think. The boy didn't look much older than Jaune, but had a mean scowl on his face, something Jaune didn't regularly see on people his age. Normally the bartender expected to see that kind of look on the older men in their thirties and forties that found life to be so bitter they had to spread it around.

"What're you looking at?" Came the callous question, the boy crossing his arms and staring Jaune down. The blonde raised an eyebrow, tucking his cleaning rag into his pants.

"Something strange," Jaune replied, pointing at the doorway. "I don't usually get customers for another half hour or so."

The orange-haired boy scoffed, keeping his arms crossed and his figure imposing as he stepped closer to Jaune, looming overhead. "I thought you opened during this time. Is coming now a problem?"

Jaune wasn't sure he liked the boy's tone of voice, but reined in any judgments as he nodded, a polite smile appearing on his face. "No sir, that won't be a problem." He said as he flipped over another few chairs, setting them back down on the floor. After one more table of doing that, he walked behind the countertop, holding out a hand. The boy stared at the outstretched fingers, not moving.

"I want a scotch, on the rocks." The boy said plainly, slumping into his chair. Jaune's smile didn't break, but there was a flash of annoyance that ran through his eyes, something he reined in quickly.

"Certainly sir, but I _do_ require identification before I serve you."

The boy puffed up his chest even more, gesturing at the armor he was wearing. _Seriously though, who wears armor to a bar?_ Jaune wondered to himself. Even Pyrrha had the decency to change into suitable wear the first time she came into his bar.

"Come on man, don't you see what I'm wearing? Do you know what that means, Ju-awn?" Jaune's name was mispronounced deliberately, the boy's eyes lingering on the name tag with a sneer on his face. Even so, the bartender kept his smile, shaking his head.

"I don't know anything until I've got an ID in my hands, sir. And the name's Jaune." Again the boy in front of him made a sound of contempt, leaning against the counter. The movement was sudden, and against his will, Jaune jolted just a bit, almost stepping backwards.

"I'm a Hunter, _Johnny_ , so I don't need an ID. What I _need_ is a drink. Scotch, on the rocks." The boy waved his finger in a circle, telling Jaune to hurry it up. Lips pursed tight, Jaune shook his head, convincingly able to pretend that he was regretful that he couldn't serve the kid.

"Actually, if you're a Hunter, _sir_ , then while it's true you wouldn't need a regular license, you would still need to show me your Hunter's license so that I can get you your Scotch. Sir. And please, call me Jaune. Just Jaune."

The boy made an ugly face, leaning forwards until he was inches away from Jaune.

"What part of 'I'm a Hunter' do you not get, _Johnny_? Who else would be wearing this type of armor?" The boy leaned back and scoffed. "You know, I kept hearing that you were this magical guru that understood people the instant you saw them, but that's just a load of bull, isn't it?"

Closing his eyes briefly, Jaune exhaled, his expression flatter than before when he opened his eyes again. Back a little straighter, Jaune looked the boy straight in the eyes.

"Look. I don't care what you're wearing. Anyone with enough money can buy secondhand armor and put it on, pretending to be a Hunter. So I need your ID, especially if you're underage because I'd rather not be _fired_ and the bar be _shut down_. Sir." Jaune added in.

The boy let out a snarl and grabbed Jaune by the collar, lifting him off of his feet. As Jaune dangled off the ground, the boy gave a derisive laugh. "Still don't believe me yet, kid? Now, you gonna give me that drink or what? You know what," the boy added as an afterthought, Jaune still hanging from his fist. "For all the trouble that I'm going through right now, make that drink on the house."

The armored dick dropped Jaune, who landed in a crouch, wincing at the sudden impact. Jaune stood up slowly, eyes staying on the boy, treating him as a predator that was ready to pounce, making sure not to show any weakness or fear.

After making sure that he wouldn't be spontaneously lifted up again, Jaune got a little closer to the counter, hands hiding underneath the counter. The pleasant smile appeared on his face again as he did so, his body language relaxed.

"I'm sorry, but threats still don't make you a Hunter sir. I would still require an ID from you, and then I'll happily make a drink for you on the house for all the troubles." The boy rolled his eyes, but finally relented, digging into his pocket and throwing the card at Jaune, who deftly caught it with his left hand. Looking at the card, Jaune tilted it to make sure the holographic seal was showing, then for extra measure, swiped the card in his license reader, making sure that all the correct information was being pulled up on the Valean database. The boy stood there on the other side, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Ah. Well, everything does seem to be in order," Jaune squinted, "Mr. Winchester. Let me get you that Scotch, on the house for all the troubles."

For something so basic, it took less than thirty seconds for the blonde bartender to make the drink, setting it in front of Cardin with a clunk, the coaster muffling the noise somewhat. The Hunter grunted and grabbed the drink the moment Jaune's fingers left it, knocking it back like a shot. Cardin came up coughing, having drunk the scotch too fast, leaving a burning sensation in the back of his throat. Jaune's lips twitched as he fought down a smile, turning around to grab an empty glass to hide the action.

"You know, those things are generally meant to be taken in a little more slowly. You know, enjoy the taste. After all, what's the point of getting scotch if you're not going to savor it?" Jaune pointed out, much to Cardin's displeasure.

"I didn't realize that being a bartender meant that you could tell me how I want to drink. Give me another." Jaune raised a wry eyebrow, crossing his arms.

"Actually it kind of does. The drinks I make here are for you to enjoy, and that means that what you consume here is under my responsibility. So if I think some idiot's guzzling down a liquor, which could potentially _kill_ them, I can very much tell you how to drink."

Suddenly the looming was back, Cardin's scowl getting deeper. "Did you just call me an idiot?" The boy asked. Jaune leaned back a little, this time because the scotch did no favors for the Hunter's breath.

"No. I said that whoever chugs a liquor like that's an idiot. Oh wait a second…" Jaune said, pretending the realize what he had just said. "Maybe you are an idiot."

Cardin roared and shoved Jaune backwards, causing him to stumble and fall, head hitting one of the bottom shelves of the bar behind him. Vision swimming, Jaune didn't see Cardin step around the bar, grabbing Jaune and pulling him up to his feet again.

"You think you're a funny guy, aren't you?"

Jaune's head still swam, so logical self-preservation hadn't been rebooted yet, making him reply back, "Oh wow, you're an angry drunk. Usually it takes more than one drink to get there, but hey, being a lightweight isn't embarrassing." There was a pause, before Jaune added, "Well, not _that_ embarrassing." Which got Cardin to throw Jaune sideways, fortunately landing on the floor, and not on the edge of a seat or table.

"You should think things through a little better next time, Johnny. Do you really think it's a good idea to make a Hunter like me mad?" Cardin had gotten close again without Jaune noticing, although to be honest, Jaune was just trying not to throw up at this point. "You got a death wish or something?"

Jaune mumbled something under his breath, causing Cardin to grab his hair and pull his head up. "If you've got something to say," Cardin breathed out, hot breath washing over Jaune's face. "Say it loud and to my face."

One of Jaune's hands grabbed onto the hand that Cardin was using to grab Jaune. "My name," he seethed out, "Is _Jaune_."

Winchester sneered at the bartender and yanked on his hair, causing Jaune to cry out. Leaning forward, Cardin whispered into Jaune's ear.

"Who cares what your name is? You're a nobody. Besides," Cardin let out a low chuckle. "Who names their kid Jaune?"

 _Jaune is a beautiful name, for a beautiful baby boy._ My _baby boy._

The blonde stopped struggling, falling limp in Cardin's grip. The Hunter tilted his head, wondering what had happened when Jaune started to speak. Or rather, Jaune started to laugh a little, before looking at Cardin.

"You know, it's funny you think that just because you're a Hunter, I have to watch out and be careful about what I do." When Jaune echoed Cardin's look of contempt from a few moments before. "From my point of view, you should be scared of _me_." Cardin laughed at the declaration, looking at the slumped form he was holding by the hair. For good measure, Cardin shook back and forth, making Jaune grit his teeth in pain, but not scream. After that was finished, Jaune continued to talk, in a calm and collected manner.

"Let me think about this." Jaune said slowly, almost leisurely, as if he wasn't being attacked by a Hunter, his life on the line if he said one wrong word. "Well, I'm pretty sure you just attacked a civilian, which could mean expulsion from Beacon and jail time. And I've swiped your license, so that's a pretty airtight proof that you've been here. Oh, and I just have a feeling that when Glynda, oh sorry I mean, Professor Goodwitch, gets wind about this, she isn't going to just let the authorities take you." A pause. "Or at least, not until she's done something to _discipline_ you as well."

Cardin stood there dumbly, his mind processing the threats that Jaune were giving him. His thoughts were interrupted by Jaune wheezing out another laugh, shaking his head left and right marginally.

"But that's not the reason you should be scared of me right now. No, the reason you should be scared of me right now,"

There was a sharp pain on Cardin's wrist, electric currents traveling throughout his entire body, causing him to lock up all his muscles so tightly that he couldn't even scream in pain, eyes wide as every body part failed him, collapsing onto the floor. Jaune stumbled onto his feet, grinning as he pulled out the taser that he had pulled out of his counter, pressing the button a few times, the sound of electricity flowing through the air.

"Is 'cause I've got a handy taser with me." Aura was a lifesaver, but even it can't really block an electric current going through your body. Luckily though, Aura can respond afterwards, and while a strong enough shock could knock a Hunter out, the taser that Jaune had on hand was only powerful enough to freeze Cardin up for a few seconds, which was evident when he stood back up again, only his heavy breathing evidence of what happened.

"So what now?" Cardin snapped out viciously. "You gonna report me?" Jaune stood there, taser in hand as he considered the question, letting the taser buzz every once in awhile as he did so. Finally Jaune let out a sigh, walking behind his counter and pointing to the seat in front of him.

"Sit." Came the simple command, one that bewildered Cardin, not expecting something like that.

"Wh-"

"Sit." Again came the command, this time firmer, Jaune's eyes more seriously.

Cardin eyed the boy in front of him with suspicion. There was no way after all of that, Jaune was just going to make Cardin sit and not suffer. There wasn't really much of a choice though, and Cardin settled into the seat, wondering what Jaune had in store for him.

The bartender turned around, grabbing a bottle from one of the shelves and ignoring the throbbing pain on the top of his head. Taking out a shot glass, Jaune poured the drink into the glass, as well as a swig of energy drink, handing the shot to Cardin.

"You'll like this one better than the scotch on the rocks that you see in the movies." Jaune waved.

Cardin gaped at Jaune, before looking at the drink.

"Did you poison it?" Came the doubtful reply, Cardin unsure if Aura would help in cases of poisonings.

Jaune arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Yes. I poisoned it with an energy drink. Try it out."

Cardin still didn't look so sure, but took the leap and threw it back, letting it slide down. Blinking back tears, Cardin gasped at the kick, but had to admit that it was a step up from what he had ordered before. Jaune didn't need him to say anything, and quite frankly, wasn't expecting him to say anything. He knew that he had delivered, and that was what mattered. Now it came for the harder part of the business.

"Why'd you come in here, Mr. Winchester?"

"What?"

Jaune knew that the regret on his face was evident, but he shoved it down, deep, deep, deep into his mind. A customer was a customer, even if the customer's a complete douche.

"Why'd you come to this bar Cardin?" Jaune tried again, wincing as he tried to ignore the dripping of the blood that was sliding down his cheek. "I doubt you came in here just for a drink and a fight with a civvie." The scowl came back in full force.

"What's it to you?" Came the gruff reply, dropping the shot glass onto the coaster with a thud. Jaune deftly took the glass and replaced it with another, this one slightly different.

"Well, it's actually quite important to me." Jaune said delicately, watching Cardin take another shot. "You see, depending on your answer, I can decide to call the cops," Cardin winced, "call Professor Goodwitch," An even harder wince, "Or… let you go with a warning." Jaune shrugged, looking at the boy in front of him.

"Wait a second," Cardin said, clutching his head as he tried to take in the options that were given to him. "Are you saying you're going to let me go?"

"Depending on your answer." Jaune said helpfully, which didn't really. The Hunter sitting in front of Jaune looked at him, not really trusting him, but at this point not really having a choice otherwise.

"… I don't think I'm meant to be a Hunter." Cardin finally said, after glancing and making sure that no one had entered the room. Jaune didn't say anything, finally glad that this was getting to the point that he was comfortable with, something that he knew how to handle.

"I'm… the leader of my team. Team CDNL." The boy continued, rubbing his hands together in absence of having another drink. "But I'm not exactly sure why I'm their leader." Cardin scowled, hands clenching into fists. "The Headmaster… chose me. To be some sort of hero to the world. And I was alright with that. The world needs a few more people to fight against the Grimm, and I can do that. But leading a team?" Cardin's fists hammered on the counter, making the shot glass jump in the air. "I'm… aggressive." He admitted reluctantly, to which Jaune nodded to. "I get angry quickly, and I'm wrathful." Cardin shook his head. "All terrible qualities for being a leader."

"So you decide to pick on others instead," Jaune ventured out saying, hoping that he wouldn't set the boy off again. "You think that if you show yourself to be strong, you'll show your team that you can lead them. Because you bully those weaker than you." Cardin winced, but nodded quietly, taking the next shot that Jaune handed to him.

"I guess."

The blonde bartender nodded thoughtfully, fingers drumming against the table. "Do you ever think that your… aggressiveness is exactly the reason why the Headmaster chose you to be leader?"

Cardin put down his drink, an eyebrow raising. "Have you been drinking?" He asked, looking around the try and find empty bottles of liquor. Jaune shook his head, waving his hand in front of Cardin to get his attention back.

"No, think about it. What is Beacon?"

"A… school?" Cardin replied back uncertainly. Jaune snapped his fingers, pointing to the Hunter.

"Exactly. Beacon, as prestigious as it is, is a school for Hunters and Huntresses to learn to be protectors of the world." Jaune poked Cardin's chest, making him recoil in confusion. "Think about it. A school as famous and well known as Beacon is probably a school that knows what it's doing. And I think that there are a lot of lessons that they teach outside of the classrooms."

Cardin nodded, still not sure what Jaune was trying to get at. "Well yeah. We just went to Forever Fall the other day—"

"No, not literally." Jaune waved his hand in exasperation, before stopping to think about it. "Well, I guess literally, but not in the way you're thinking of it!"

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he tried to think of a better and more direct way to what he wanted to say.

"What I'm trying to say is that maybe Headmaster Ozpin assigned you to be the leader to teach you a lesson." Jaune paused. "To help show you how to properly lead." He added, still not sure that the dense blockhead was understanding what he was talking about.

Cardin sat there, letting Jaune's words sink in.

Let it be known that not every person accepted into Beacon was a master of the mind.

"So what you're saying is that Professor Ozpin made me a leader… to make me a leader?" Cardin asked.

Jaune made an uncertain noise, "Well, I wouldn't exactly say it that way, but I guess that'll work if you think that's how it works?"

Cardin slumped back into his seat, an angry frown on his face. "I don't get it." He said, his face almost mopey.

"Okay, let's try this," Jaune said, praying that he wouldn't have to keep doing this for the guy. "What traits do you usually think of when you think of a great leader?"

There was silence as Cardin thought about it, before saying, "Calm and firm, but cares about who he's in charge of." Jaune nodded. Now we're getting somewhere.

"Right, and do you care about your teammates?"

"Yes." There wasn't any hesitation in the answer, Cardin's face determined. Bully he might have been, but it was obvious that he was loyal to his teammates. Jaune hummed in thought.

"Alright good. That's one out of the three of being a good leader. And of course, because you care about your teammates, you wouldn't want them to be in a panic and not following orders would you? Especially if you're trying to tell them what's best for them, right?"

Cardin nodded again.

"Good, good. One more question." Jaune said, tapping the countertop in front of him. "Out of the people that you can think of that are good leaders… how many of them are good leaders because they're physically strong, and strut around like they own the place?"

This time, Cardin took a little longer to answer, eyebrows scrunched together as he tried to figure out the answer.

"None."

"None." Jaune agreed. "Or at least, not many. No, the good leaders aren't the ones who need to prove that their the strongest in the room. They're the ones that everyone in the room will know is the strongest, and will be the one that trusts that his teammates will follow him because they know that."

Jaune let one of his hands fall onto Cardin's shoulder, bringing him to meet Jaune in the eyes. "Do you get what I'm saying?" Jaune asked, begging silently that Cardin did.

"Y-yes." Cardin finally said, nodding. "I think I do."

"Good." Jaune said, finally able to relax a little.

"So what you're saying is I have to beat everyone into submission first, so that they never dare question my authority."

"No." Came Jaune's exasperated reply, ready to deliver another lecture before he heard a snicker. Looking up, he saw Cardin smiling, humor in his eyes. "Oh. You were joking." Thank Dust.

"Yeah. I was."

With that taken care of, Cardin stood up, pulling out his wallet and dropping the appropriate amount of lien on the table, hesitating and dropping some more, mumbling something about 'damages', which Jaune took gracefully and without making a fuss.

As the time with Cardin began to close, regulars started to trickle in, ready for their first drinks of the night. Cardin hung around for a little while longer, chatting a little with Jaune, who looked at the boy with wonderment.

There was something in his posture, Jaune thought to himself. Usually no one I talk to changes outright, but… this one. This one's changed a bit, Jaune thought, hoped to himself.

"Jaune? What happened to your head?"

Looking up, Jaune was faced with a concerned Glynda, who had practically flown over to look at the wounded bartender. Cardin froze in fear, eyes leaping from his professor to Jaune, the unspoken message clear in his eyes.

Jaune laughed it off, brushing off the professor's prying fingers. "Don't worry about it Glynda. I slipped and fell, banged my head against a shelf. Cardin here helped me up actually." Jaune said, pointing to the boy, who nodded frantically.

"Oh… Did he now?" The blonde professor looked at Cardin with curious eyes. "Well I'm glad that one of my students was here to help. Thank you Cardin. It would be a shame to see Jaune hurt."

"Y-Yeah, that'd be terrible." Cardin stuttered, eyes looking everywhere but at her. "Listen, I've got to go so I'll see you later, alright?"

"Actually," Jaune said, grabbing onto Cardin's sleeve. "I need to tell you something." Professor Goodwitch got the subtle message, excusing herself for a short while to go to the bathroom, leaving the two boys relatively alone. Jaune waited another few seconds to collect himself before speaking.

"Remember what I've said, alright Cardin? Try and be a good leader and a better person. I can see it in you," Jaune said, shaking a finger. "You're not a bad person if you work on it." Cardin nodded, getting up to leave again before Jaune hooked his fingers into Cardin's collar, bringing his head down so that Jaune could whisper into his ear.

"And if you _ever_ come in here and do this again, I will make sure you wish I reported you here and now, do you understand me?"

Cardin had never felt his heart race in fear as much as it did at this moment, as Jaune manhandled and threatened him. It didn't take long for Cardin to nod quickly, prompting the bartender to let go, Jaune's ever present smile on his face.

"Oh and Cardin?"

The boy flinched again at the question, looking at Jaune.

"A good mother, Cardin." Jaune said, Cardin looking at him with confusion. "A good mother names her kid Jaune."


	11. Underdeveloped

**A/N: Woo hoo! I'm sure tons of you guys were looking forward to this chapter. I keep getting surprised by how much I write for this story, let me tell you. I thought I was going to end it around the 2500 mark... ended up writing 2000 words more. Which was... fun. I guess. On another note, woo hoo, 1000 follows F%^K YEA. Now I shoot for 1500! Hahaha XD Thanks to everyone who seems to either enjoy watching Jaune suffer or suffering from the feels themselves, this story would be nothing without y'all! Well, I mean, it would be something I guess... Anyways, enjoy!**

 **D: Thanks!**

* * *

The first time Jaune saw her, he thought she was an angel. White as snow, even the dim fluorescent lights were enough to make her glow. Seeing her made his heart rise up into his throat, the organ threatening to choke him unconscious. She had strode in, all grace and poise, head help up high as if she knew how important she was.

She was perfect in every way, Jaune thought, until she opened her mouth.

The image of the perfect girl shattered under the force of her personality, and while her words were polite and gentle, the tone was not. Quickly Jaune revised his previous observations towards her, realizing that if anything, she was even less mature than he was.

Of course, as a Huntress, she still garnered his respect. Jaune could see that she was a strong, independent girl, and took pride in that.

Weiss had come into the bar the first time after hearing Ruby and Yang rave about the place, as well as seeing Professor Goodwitch come in as well, to her immense surprise. She wasn't one for drinking, but the establishment had piqued her curiosity, and it wasn't much longer before she demurely stepped through the doorways of the bar, greeted by a face that was almost as young as she was.

She hadn't meant to categorize him, but her mind did it anyways, and when she spoke to him for the first time, Weiss hadn't bothered to hide the disdain in her voice, her doubt that someone so young could handle a bar so well evident in her tone.

It wasn't much of a stretch to say that Weiss and Jaune didn't start off on the right foot. They found that getting on each other's tempers was one of the easier things to do, and before either of them knew it, they would be arguing over the most inconsequential things, such as Weiss's drink not having the right proportions of alcohol to espresso, which then sparks Jaune's side comments about how only crazy people drink alcohol with coffee.

Their arguments lasted for hours at a time, to the point where when regulars noticed the girl walking into the bar, they would either leave quickly to avoid getting into the middle of the mess, or quickly order another drink, ready to see the upcoming show.

Which is why on that particular day, Jaune received a sudden influx of orders as the doors opened wide, Weiss striding in with a leash in her hands, leading an adorable puppy into the bar. Normally Jaune wouldn't allow pets into the bar, but when he saw the black and white corgi, he didn't bother saying anything, knowing that the dog had impeccable manners.

Probably better manners than the girl holding his leash.

Weiss frowned as she looked at Jaune serving drinks, her facial expressions showing a certain distaste, as if she had heard what Jaune had been thinking. Without any word from the bartender, Weiss found the cleanest bar stool she could find and grabbed a few napkins, making sure that she personally kept the seat tidy, to Jaune's offense. He cleaned the bar from top to bottom regularly, maintaining its top shape of cleanliness whenever he had the chance, and Weiss decides that it still isn't enough for her? _She was probably raised inside a disinfected quarantine bubble_ , Jaune thought rudely, finishing up the last batch of refills before going towards the bartending counter, giving a very fake smile towards the girl.

Weiss sniffed at the air, crossing her arms. "Took you long enough." She said, making Jaune grit his teeth and turn to Zwei.

"Good afternoon Zwei, I'm glad you took the time to visit." Jaune greeted, to which the dog barked happily at. Weiss didn't appreciate that, glaring at the boy, clearing her throat loudly.

" _Excuse me_ , isn't it proper manners to greet a customer, or were you just not taught how to service properly?"

This earned a glare back towards Weiss, Jaune pursing his lips. "I don't know what you're talking about, I _was_ greeting a customer." He countered, pointing at the dog. "I can't greet the both of you at once now, can I?" Jaune rolled his eyes and leaned towards her. "I hope you didn't trip on your heels when you were getting here, princess."

"I am an _heiress_ , thank you. And no, I don't trip." Weiss slammed her hands on the table, the glare still clear on her face. "And for that matter, I think it is downright rude for you to be greeting their pet before the customer."

Jaune nodded, face serious. "I think you're completely right." He said, to Weiss's outrage, before turning back to the exasperated looking corgi. "I'm guessing you want the usual, Zwei?"

The dog barked an affirmative, to which Jaune procured a small bowl of water, while placing a nice bone chunk that he had saved for the dog. The dog yipped its thanks, and Jaune leaned down to give it a nice pat, the dog's form of payment for the meal. Weiss sat there impatiently, glowering at the boy at having to wait to be served before the dog. After making sure the dog had everything, Jaune paused for a second, briefly looking at Weiss before leaning casually onto the table, looking back at Zwei.

"So Zwei, what problems are you having back at Beacon?"

Weiss's throat was slowing making a noise that only Grimm should've been able to make, her hand on the grip of Myrtenaster turning her knuckles white. Jaune pretended to chat with the dog for a little longer, nodding sympathetically at every sound that the dog made. After a nice, long chat with the corgi, Jaune finally turned towards Weiss, a polite smile on his face.

"Alright your highness. What'll you have?"

The girl opened her mouth, inhaling and preparing a rather large and angry lecture on, well, everything Jaune had just done, but stopped herself, closing her eyes and inhaling, mentally counting to ten. She put on hand on top of the other and straightened her back, opening her eyes, a sea of calm suddenly surrounding her.

"I will have the Espresso Martini please." The girl said politely.

Jaune's jaw dropped a fraction, completely confused as to what had just happened. He must be dreaming. There was no way Weiss of all people had just passed up a chance to berate Jaune for intentionally ignoring her. The bartender pinched himself rather viciously to make sure he wasn't dreaming. The red welt that appeared and the pain assured him that yes, he was definitely awake, and yes, Weiss had been taken over and mind controlled by someone.

"…Neo?" Jaune asked uncertainly. Sure, the girl couldn't speak, but this seemed like something that the ice-cream loving girl would do. Instead of giggles erupting to indicate that Neo had in fact used her semblance to impersonate Weiss, the snow-haired girl simply arched an eyebrow in question, wondering silently if the bartender had gone out of his mind.

"I'm sorry?" Weiss asked, not sure if she had misheard. Jaune shook his mind, deciding that he had probably just woken up in an alternate dimension this morning and had to roll with it.

"Never mind, sorry. One Espresso Martini, coming up." The boy said, turning around to hide the shock on his face as he gathered the materials. Quickly putting the drink together, Jaune placed it in front of Weiss, waiting for her to critique his latest creation of the cocktail. Instead the girl sipped the drink daintily, placing it down and nodding.

"Thank you Jaune. That was quite nice."

"No." Jaune shook his head, stepping back. "I'm not doing this right now." Jaune turned around and rubbed his eyes, turning back to see if his vision was going to clear up, and replace the image of a proper, non-objecting Weiss that was sitting in front of him. When she didn't disappear, Jaune tilted his head and jumped a few times, wondering if there was water in his ears that was distorting everything that Weiss was saying. "Am I just hallucinating or something…?" Jaune muttered to himself, rubbing the bandage on the side of his head. Weiss simply stood there with a bemused expression on her face.

"What are you doing?" Came the confused question, Weiss taken aback by what Jaune was doing. The bartender looked at Weiss, then at Zwei, who seemed to shrug at the unspoken question Jaune was asking, then back to Weiss. With a weary sigh, Jaune decided to answer to question.

"I'm… sorry if I'm being rude," Jaune started out saying, the strangeness of the situation causing him to default into his Polite Bartender mode, "but I just… expected more a reaction out of you is all." Weiss raised her eyebrows, taking another sip of her martini.

"You mean you were waiting for me to fight with you again." Weiss stated flatly, to which Jaune nodded reluctantly.

"Well, I am much too mature for that sort of thing now." Weiss said proudly, crossing her legs. "I don't have the time for such childish things."

"Uh huh." Jaune said skeptically, recalling how just the other day he was arguing with her about the homey décor around the bar.

It didn't matter that it was outdated, dammit, it was _cozy_.

Weiss nodded and took another sip of her martini, silence falling on the both of them. It was a strange feeling for Jaune, who fidgeted uncomfortably, not knowing what to do. The two of them were never this quiet, always having something to say (shout) to each other. It felt wrong.

"Something happen recently?" Jaune probed out, wondering what could've changed Weiss so dramatically. The girl played with the stem of the glass for a little bit, her face showing a lot of conflicting emotions. Jaune took that as a yes, and continued with his line of questioning.

"… Does it have anything to do with your partner?"

Jaune found the answer to that pretty quickly, as Weiss's face darkened, her lips moving quickly as she muttered something too quietly for even Jaune to hear.

"What happened?" Jaune asked, grabbing another cocktail glass to prepare another martini. Weiss glared at the boy, eyes sharp.

"Why do you care?" Came the question, subtle accusations hidden underneath it. Jaune sighed and held up his hands.

"Hey, I was just curious. And I thought maybe it would be a good idea for you to get this off your chest."

The suspicion in Weiss's eyes didn't entirely leave, but as she took another sip of the cocktail, her shoulders seem to fall a fraction of an inch, and Jaune heard something he had never heard from Weiss before.

She sighed.

It was a despondent sigh, but looking at the petite girl doing something so cute made Jaune's heart tighten. It took another minute of reminding himself that no matter how cute the girl was, she could tear him to pieces, physically and word-wise.

"You know, Ruby has been… different, these days." Weiss started talking, lifting the glass up to her lips, interrupting herself for a second. "She is… quieter. Not in a bad way," Weiss was quick to add, seeing Jaune's face turn concerned. "She's still nowhere near Blake's level of quiet. She is still happy and cheerful but…" Weiss gestured helplessly. "She's just _quieter_." Weiss put a hand on her forehead, trying to think of an example.

"The other day, we messed up on one of our team exercises. I... may have been a little frustrated, and lashed out at Ruby. But she didn't even argue back! She didn't even try to!" Weiss spread out her hands, looking at Jaune as if waiting for him to say something back.

"That's… uh, that's weird."

"Exactly!" Weiss threw up her hands, eyes up towards the sky. "I mean, it was just so unlike her that I stopped what I was saying and asked her if she was alright. Do you know what she said to me?" Weiss waited for exactly half a second before continuing. "She said that she was fine, and then she _thanked_ me for yelling at her, promising to do better next time!" Weiss sputtered a little bit, unable to think of what else to say. "That's just, I didn't. it's just so unreasonable of her!"

Jaune nodded, the action automatic even though he was still just trying to wrap his head around how this was a bad thing.

Weiss pointed a finger at him, shaking it. "And get this. I turn around and look at Yang and Blake to see them surprised as well, so I know it wasn't just me! I tried asking Professor Goodwitch if she knew anything about it, because I saw her nod at Ruby later on, but all she did was smile at me and tell me that I should learn a few things from Ruby. Me!"

Jaune nodded again, this time a lot more uncertainly. "That's uh, that's a shame there." Weiss agreed distractedly, quickly returning back to the topic at hand. She covered her face with her hands, letting out an anguished groan.

There was silence in the room as Jaune stood there, unsure of how to comfort the girl. In the end Jaune decided to awkwardly pat the girl on the shoulder a few times before retreating backwards, unsure of how she would react to him doing that.

Weiss raised her head up and looked at the boy, frowning.

"Now that I think about it..." The heiress said thoughtfully, "Ruby started changing the day after she visited you. Did you do something to her?" The question came with an accusing finger, shaking threateningly in front of Jaune. The bartender shook his head, taking another step back.

"What? No! It's probably a coincidence or something." Jaune waved aside, scooting a little to the left and smoothly grabbing her martini glass, putting it into a nearby sink. Weiss shook her head, a frown on her lips.

"No, I remember her talking about meeting someone that helped her out with some problems. That is when I knew something was wrong." Weiss declared, hitting her fist onto her palm. "Ruby tends to be really specific with what she says. She's never that vague."

Jaune rolled his eyes at that. "Right, but it's not like I'm the only person she could've talked to." Weiss copied Jaune's earlier motion, rolling her eyes.

"Please, Ruby might be social amongst her friends, but she isn't the type of person to talk to random strangers off the street." As the cold cage of logic continued to surround Jaune, he wracked his mind for another excuse.

"Maybe the alcohol changed her?" Jaune didn't even bother pretending that was actually a possibility, but hoped that Weiss would be fooled by the question. It didn't work, which was pretty much expected at that point.

"No, she hated the alcohol. Said something about never drinking again." Weiss said, waving her hand dismissively. Jaune let out a quiet sigh, happy that he had convinced Ruby to stay away from drinking for just a little while longer. When he returned to Weiss's conversation, he was caught back by her narrowed eyes.

"Another drink?" Came the compulsive question, Jaune sliding an already made cocktail towards her, which she reluctantly accepted, her cheeks a little pink. Weiss usually stopped at two glasses of the stuff, leaving with a disgusted look on her face. Then again, they usually argued so much that it would take almost two hours for the girl to finish up her drinks anyway. Today, it's been less than half an hour and she was beginning to put away a third.

"Why are you trying to avoid the topic?" Came the sudden question, making Jaune blink in surprise—and a little bit of guilt.

"I- I'm not trying to avoid the topic." He said defensively. Weiss crossed her arms, raising a single eyebrow.

"Really? Then answer my question."

"Uh," Jaune stuttered, before smiling sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "What was the question again?"

"Don't pretend you don't know the question." Weiss scowled. "What did you tell Ruby that changed her so much?"

Jaune set his lips into a thin line, leaning backwards and sighing, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. Standing there, he didn't say a word for a while, actually keeping his eyes on the other customers sitting around the bar, silently making sure that they were minding their own business. Many of them respected his wishes, nodding and turning back to their own conversations, and others stood up, disappointed that there wasn't going to be a shouting match any time soon. Weiss sat there, watching him not pay her any attention, and opened her mouth to yell at him before he finally spoke.

"This isn't why you're here." He said softly, stopping her in her tracks.

"Excuse me?"

Jaune leaned forwards, face getting very close to Weiss's. The girl flinched and shifted backwards an inch before realizing that whether or not Jaune knew it, he had gained a footing over her with that action.

"You aren't here to find out why Ruby's changed." Jaune repeated. Weiss tried to object, but was distracted by a bark, turning to look at Zwei, hopping up and down with his tongue out, shaking his head.

"I- I am not sure what you are talking about." Weiss said falteringly, to which Zwei let out a small whine, crouching down onto his hind legs. Jaune didn't say a word, mentally thanking Zwei for backing him up on this.

"I mean," Weiss started again, not to be defeated by a blonde bartender and a tiny corgi, no matter how adorable he was. "I guess I might be here to—to talk with you as well, but finding out why Ruby changed is definitely top priority."

"Oh really?" Jaune drawled out the words, making it very clear that he didn't believe a word that she had just said. Weiss started to blush, and Jaune had to count that as a personal win, because this was probably the first time she's blushed out of embarrassment instead of anger.

"Well, I- I mean, there's not really—" The blush only got deeper as Jaune sat there patiently, an innocent look on his face while he waited for her to finish. Weiss scowled at his expression, standing up abruptly from her seat. "Well. I do not need to justify _anything_ to you, Jaune." Flicking her ponytail to the side, she turned to leave, only stopping when Jaune reached out to grab her wrist, laughing while he pulled her back into her seat.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry about that. Can you calm down for a second there?" Jaune gestured to the seat and waited for Weiss to sit down in a huff, her body so wound up that she had crossed both her arms and legs, the only thing stopping her from staying that way was another drink, offered by Jaune.

"Better?" He asked, Weiss nodding reluctantly, sipping her drink and waiting for the boy in front of her to speak. Jaune took a second, putting away the glasses in front of him and using that time to gather his thoughts, making sure to choose his words carefully, not wanting to offend such a sensitive girl.

"... You're a competitive person." Jaune stated. Weiss nodded, knowing it was true. "I'm sure there are reasons for that, and I'm not going to pry," Jaune said quickly, holding out his hand. Weiss gave a small, thankful smile for that gesture. "I'm going to make a very general guess and say that you're trying to impress your parents by making a name out of yourself. Right?" He let the question hang in the air, watching as Weiss's eyes widened, not having to say anything to affirm his question.

"Thought so." Jaune said, nodding. The heiress shook her head, unable to believe that he could have just guessed that.

"How did you know?"

Jaune shrugged at the question. "Your sister may have mentioned something like that once or twice."

"You know my sister!?" Weiss gaped at him, disbelief clear in her eyes. "How would you know my sister? I mean, Winter Schnee right? Tall, beautiful, formal?" Jaune rolled his eyes, nodding at the question.

"Yes, yes, and yes. Trust me, she's your sister. She's practically a grown up version of you." Jaune paused, realizing that he had just compared the two sisters, and was quick to backtrack if it wasn't for Weiss interrupting indignantly, yelling out, "I _am_ the grown up version of me."

Jaune stopped talking, knowing that he had tripped up, and tried to placate the girl, holding his hands out in front of him. "Sorry. That's not what I meant. I apologize if I caused you offense, as I didn't mean to." This seemed to calm the girl down a little bit, as she settled back down in her seat. Jaune continued to talk, mentally revising and hoping that he didn't step on another land mine.

"We've wandered off topic. The point that I'm trying to make," Jaune said, raising a finger, "Is that you're comparing yourself to Ruby, and probably for the first time, you've found that you're losing."

"I am not losing." Came the instant reply, before Weiss scowled at the misstep, hurriedly correcting herself. "And I am not comparing myself to Ruby of all people. There are plenty of talented people in Beacon that I could compare to, why would I do it to Ruby of all people?"

"Well, I was sort of getting there," Jaune said, annoyed at the girl's constant jumping in. "Anyways, sure there are plenty of people in Beacon that are talented. I'm pretty sure every person in there has to be talented, just to be accepted into the school. I think it's demeaning of you to think that Ruby isn't talented."

"I've never said that." Weiss objected, making Jaune groan.

"Can you just shut _up_ for a second and let me finish?" He asked, exasperated. Weiss at least had enough decency to look sheepish at that, nodding once to let Jaune finish what he was saying. "Thank you." Jaune pinched the nerve pulsing between his eyebrows, hoping that the headache would go away soon. "Now, I know you've never said that, but the way you talk about her implies that you think less of her. I don't know if that's subconscious or what, but that's something you need to fix, because that will only lead to you hurting her and your team." Weiss looked as if she wanted to deny what he was saying, but was stopped when Jaune glared at _her_ , making her shrink back. He didn't say anything for another second, waiting to see if she would jump into argument mode again. When she didn't, Jaune resumed speaking.

"Let me ask you something. Every application to Beacon was reviewed by the staff there, preferably even the Headmaster, right?" Weiss nodded. "Okay. So that means that whoever looks at the applications has a standard when they're accepting students, making sure that they're choosing the best of the best, right?" Again Weiss nodded. "Good. And you would agree that whoever approves of the applications is competent, right?" Jaune didn't even wait for Weiss to answer that question. "So when Ruby was let into Beacon Academy, they more than likely made sure that she could hold under the rigor of the school. Sure, she might not have the greatest academics, but she's talented with her weapon, and she's determined to make the world a safer place." Jaune paused, before adding in something else. "And she's determined to improve and grow."

"Which is why Professor Goodwitch told you to make her an example."

Weiss's head snapped up from the position it had been before, eyes showing that she was slowly understanding what Jaune was trying to say.

"So you're saying... that I'm not growing." Weiss said despondently, making Jaune wince at how dejected the girl sounded. The blonde bartender didn't even know the girl could sound so down.

"That's not what I'm saying," Jaune quickly corrected her, venturing to lay a hand on hers, making sure that she was looking at him. "What I'm saying is that Ruby is growing by leaps and bounds, and if you want to keep up, it doesn't hurt to take a few notes out of her book."

The white-haired heiress looked contemplative, eyes hazy as she thought about his words. "Well, I am not one to shy away from taking notes." She said reluctantly, looking at Jaune, who smiled warmly at her.

"Good. I'm sure you'll grow in no time." He said confidently.

Weiss nodded quietly, a smile appearing on her face as well, before she glanced down, looking at her chest with a conflicting expression before looking back up at Jaune. "Do you really think I'll grow more?"

Jaune froze, hearing hope in her voice that he guessed didn't just mean as a Huntress. He made the mistake of letting his gaze drift downwards for a brief second, catching himself a moment too late as Weiss caught his line of sight, and her hand tightened around his, almost crushing the knuckles.

"Oh yes, of course, I'm sure you'll grow in all sorts of ways." Jaune quickly wheezed out, trying not to yelp at the pain. Her grip lessened, expression doubtful.

"You really think so?"

Jaune nodded, thinking about her older sister.

"Yeah, I really think so. I mean, you've still got a few more years to grow and if your sister is anything to go by..." Jaune whistled in appreciation, once again freezing as he realized what he had just done in front of Winter's younger sister. Looking at Weiss was like looking into his own death, and for someone known so well as being the Ice Queen, her gaze was made of flaming fury, hand slowly reaching her rapier.

"Uh, you don't have any Dust that can erase the past few minutes of our conversation from your mind do you?" Jaune asked hopefully, slowly edging away from the murderous girl. Weiss let out a breath, before inhaling and letting out another, repeating the process a few more times. Jaune stopped trying to escape, eyes brightening in hope that she had learned restraint.

"I am going to count to ten, and by that time, _pray_ that you've run far enough."

"Yeah I didn't think so." Jaune muttered, before taking off as fast as he possibly could, ramming his shoulder into the doorway and speeding past it, praying to whatever deity that he would still be alive by tomorrow morning. Weiss finished her count and followed, creating a glyph under her feet, which was completely unfair. Zwei followed along, barking happily as he skipped along.

The crowd that he had left behind in the bar cheered, taking a swig from their drinks. Sure it wasn't the fight that they were looking for, but it sure as Dust was the next best thing.


	12. Desire to Protect

**A/N: Merry Early Christmas! There was a lot more that I wanted to write but... I think ending this chapter the way I did should be fine.** _ **Insert Plot and Evil Laughter**_

 **Guest: Well, seeing as how he hasn't had his aura activated yet...**

 **SirOswaldMosley: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Pain is fun. Yes. Very fun. XD**

 **Guest 2: Thanks!**

 **###**

"—and then Cardin shows up out of nowhere and cuts the Ursa's head clean off!"

Professor Goodwitch turned her gaze to the two teams walking towards her, talking and laughing amongst each other as they did so.

"Wow, that's actually pretty impressive." Yang said, before hesitating. "She's, uh, telling the truth right, Ren?" The pink-eyed boy nodded, smiling.

"For once, she is telling the truth."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Nora whined, tugging at the boy's arm. They all laughed as they strolled along, until Weiss spotted the professor, greeting her politely. The blonde-haired professor nodded back, giving a tiny smile to the eight of them.

"Hello everyone. Going out for the evening?" The professor asked, falling side-by-side with them. She knew where they were going, as it wasn't often that you would see Huntresses wander into this part of the city unless it was for one thing: drinking.

And there was only one bar suitable enough for Beacon students in Vale to suit everyone's tastes.

Yang grinned and nodded at the professor. There was a time recently where the students would balk away from the strict teacher, wilting from her menacing stares and agonizing lectures. Her reputation changed soon after she visited Jaune, many students spotting her laughing and smiling. They witnessing a side of her that they would have never seen if the Professor Goodwitch had never left Beacon.

The group made some more small talk, people splitting up into smaller groups to converse with, Weiss unafraid of talking to the professor and dragging Ruby into the conversation as well.

"—And I certainly think that a curriculum of the usage of Dust would very much benefit all the students there, even the ones that don't use it." Weiss finished, Professor Goodwitch nodding along with her. Ruby had put in some points as well, happy to talk about weapons with someone more knowledgeable then she.

"Well, I'll be sure to forward your suggestions to the Headmaster, Miss Schnee. I do believe it would be very helpful to the students to have some working knowledge of Dust. After all, you never know when you might need to defuse a Dust bomb or the like—" The professor stopped talking as the group rounded a corner and halted in their tracks, as if frozen. Glynda could see what had made them stop, but wasn't sure if she could actually believe it or not. Gently making her way to the front, she looked at the sign hanging from the doorway in front of Jaune's bar, bold red lettering declaring the bar closed. That couldn't have been right. The blonde woman checked the time on her scroll, making sure that they weren't too early, even though it was getting close to being nine at night on a weekday. The professor put her hand on the doorway and leaned on it slightly, expecting it to give way like it usually did, Jaune greeting them with a warm smile and hands ready to make drinks.

There was no smile, nor Jaune waiting for them, because the door didn't give way. It didn't even budge.

Professor Goodwitch stared at the immobile door, disbelief clear on her face.

"Y-you wouldn't know why the bar's closed, would you Professor?" Ruby's voice was quiet, the shaking almost imperceptible, but still there. To a woman like Glynda, who spent most of her life raising young Huntresses, spotting the fear and concern flowing through the kids behind her was almost tangible.

Professor Goodwitch let out a breath, composing herself into the teacher that every student in Beacon knew. The unyielding, solid woman that didn't fear anything came forth, replacing the woman that had been ready a few seconds ago to relax and enjoy some small talk with a boy she would almost consider a son.

"I'm sure there's a reason for this." Came the confident reply, her mind working as she tried to peer through the black curtains covering the windows, hoping to spot a silhouette.

"Maybe he's just taking a day off or something," Nora's optimistic reply came. It was quickly snuffed out by the quick fact that Jaune had _never_ taken a day off, and some of them had seen him when he had gotten the worst flu known to man, dark circles ringing his eyes while he tried to fill out orders.

"Maybe we should go in and check to see if everything's alright?" Blake spoke up this time, looking at the professor as if to say that she was going to go in whether or not Professor Goodwitch approved of it. She could see the same expression on a few other faces, and sighed in resignation, although she had to admit that she wanted to bust down the doors as well. It didn't have to come to that, as the lock on the door clicked audibly, the door swinging open to reveal an old man, hunched over a cane and looking up at the blonde woman.

"Are you guys going to stand outside and make a ruckus all day or what?" The crotchety old man said, scowling at the group in front of him. Professor Goodwitch bowed slightly in apology.

"I'm sorry sir. We were just wondering why you were closed today."

The man sniffed loudly, waving a hand dismissively at the bar behind him. "Sent the boy home." He said grumpily. "Reeked of alcohol, and could barely walk in a straight line." Professor Goodwitch didn't react outwardly, except to widen her eyes a little at the information, dipping her head. On the inside however, she was furious at Jaune.

"Thank you for the information mister... ?"

The old man waved his hand again, shaking his head. "I'm no mister, lady." He paused for a second, looking closer at the woman. "Say. You're that lady from Beacon ain't you?" Glynda nodded politely, smiling. The man nodded, stroking his short beard. "Hm. The boy talked about you quite a bit if I remember. Say, you wouldn't mind... you wouldn't mind checking up on the boy for me, would you?" The man shrugged, hobbling back into the bar, gesturing for them to come in and have a seat. Rummaging around the bar, the man's head barely poked above the counter. "I'm afraid I just don't have the energy to get to his apartment anymore. Ah ha! There it is." The old man hobbled back to Glynda and handed her a piece of paper with an address messily scrawled on it.

The woman bowed again, thanking the man in front of her politely. Inspecting the sheet of paper, Glynda nodded, putting it into her pocket. The air behind her was filled with tension when she turned around, looking at the crowd sitting quietly, waiting for the professor to say something. She looked at each and every one of them before pushing up her glasses, telling them all to head back to Beacon.

The room erupted into chaos at the words, Yang and Nora standing up indignantly, ready to get into a shouting match. Many of the others weren't as loud or energetic with their objections, but definitely just as vocal. Ruby looked torn, wanting to join Yang and Nora but knowing that it would be unreasonable to do so. Even Weiss and Blake showed signs of dissatisfaction, frowning at the professor.

The blonde witch simply stood there, watching them calmly as they spoke out. Eventually the words died out under her steady gaze, the kids unsure of what else to say. Another second of silence passed, the teacher standing there, saying and doing nothing.

"Ruby, Pyrrha." She said, bringing the two girls to attention. "Please take your teams back to the Beacon dorms." There was no steel in her voice, no demand in the tone, but the simple authority Professor Goodwitch wielded was enough to make everyone in the room flinch. Ruby let out a shaky breath and stood up, fists opening and closing.

"Professor," Ruby started, expression polite, tone quiet. "Could we please accompany you? We're worried for our friend and would like to check up on him." Professor Goodwitch was still impressed by how quickly Ruby had grown, becoming a competent leader of Team RWBY. It definitely helped the team, and showed when everyone slowly quieted down, showing their support for Ruby. Nevertheless the professor shook her head, her expression softening a little.

"I'm sorry Miss Rose. But this isn't a request." Professor Goodwitch paused, before adding, "I promise that I will tell you how Jaune is doing."

The brunette looked uncertain, and certainly wanted to insist on joining the professor, but knew that arguing wouldn't achieve anything with the strict woman standing in front of her. Reluctantly, Ruby nodded. "You promise?" The professor nodded once. With a sigh, Ruby turned to her friends.

"Let's go guys." She said simply, something that didn't sit well with some of the others. Pyrrha in particular seemed to want to fight this, which was strange for the usually compliant girl, but in the end Ruby convinced them to wait the night out for the professor to return. If what Professor Goodwitch reported back wasn't to their satisfaction, they would go visit Jaune themselves, Professor Goodwitch even allowing for them to go. The witch knew that any attempts to stop them from leaving would end in failure anyways, so the next best option would be to approach the boy first.

With everything settled, the group of students slowly headed back to the Bullhead ports as Professor Goodwitch went in the opposite direction, thanking the old man once again before departing. The apartment was a distance away from the bar it seemed, and as the buildings grew more and more worn down as the professor wandered deeper and deeper into the city, the more worried she became.

After the first few chats with Jaune, the woman grew impatient at the pace the bartender was willing to give out his personal information. In a once in a lifetime stunt of breaking her strict moral system, the professor called in a few favors and investigated who Jaune really was.

She found a lot less than she wished for, but enough to paint a rough picture of mysterious boy. He had no living relatives, the last of them dying in a brutal Grimm attack about a year back. His last name was Arc, which didn't really tell her much, as the only person she could link that last name to was a hero of the old ages, the descendents fading out of history quickly after. Ozpin seemed to know a little more about it, but no amount of badgering would get him to tell her anything. The only thing the Headmaster seemed to respond with when Glynda asked him about the boy was a small smile, and a quick 'give it time' before he changed the subject.

She had to admit though, Jaune might have been cagey and hesitant about his past, the professor still learned a lot about him, and enjoyed his company. He was much more mature than most people his age, and certainly displayed it by handling irate customers smoothly and diffusing situations that had threatened to blow up in his bar. The advice he gave was... at times a little naive, but sound.

Above all else, Jaune was a good person.

But... there were times, Glynda thought, there were times when Jaune showed another side of him. He carried hurt and shielded it from the world, which was evident by how little he wanted to talk about himself. The more he tried to hide it, the more she wanted to help him, the avoidance sparking her maternal instinct towards the boy.

Professor Goodwitch's thoughts stopped as she arrived to the address that had been written down on the sheet of paper. If there was any adjective to describe the apartment complex she was looking at, old would be the first word that came to mind. Paint peeled off several places around the building, there was graffiti marking a side of the building, and some windows had simply been boarded shut after they had been broken in.

The scene did nothing to allay the coiling tension resting in the professor's stomach.

She headed inside, the doors creaking as she stepped in, heading up the stairwell to find apartment 424.

Arriving in front of the door, she hesitated, getting closer towards the frame of the door and straining her ears to try and listen, to see if there was anything she could make out.

Nothing.

She rapped her knuckled against the door three times, stepping back to wait for an answer. A minute passed by without a response, except a door opening to the right of her and a man stumbling out, laughing down the stairway. She tried again, waiting another minute before giving up on trying to enter the polite way, placing her hand on the doorknob instead. Convincing herself that she was doing this out of concern for the bartender, she used some aura manipulation to unlock the mechanisms behind the door and turned the knob, revealing the inside of Jaune's apartment.

Professor Goodwitch froze, trying to take in what she was seeing. Her breath seemed to stop, lodging itself in her throat as she stood there frozen.

"Dust." She cursed softly, stepping into the apartment.

There were bottles everywhere. On the table, on the chairs, the witch even saw one upside down in a flower vase. Some were half full, some were unopened, and many were completely empty. The whole place reeked of the alcohol, which was almost strong enough to make the woman's eyes water. Stooping over, she picked up a bottle, looking at the label. Whiskey. Looking at the other bottles, she saw a pattern. Sure there were different brands and types, but they were all the same kind. Whiskey.

Professor Goodwitch stepped carefully through the kitchen and into the living room, opening on the doors on the side of the room, revealing a bathroom that reeked of vomit. Scrunching her nose, the professor closed the door and moved on to the second door, pushing it open slowly.

It was a bedroom, with a small twin sized mattress on the floor, ragged blankets covering it. Tangled up in the sheets was a blonde-haired boy, breathing loudly as he slept with a half full bottle of whiskey in one of his hands.

The sight was pitiful, and made the blonde woman's heart tighten. She didn't want to see him like this. She didn't want Jaune like this at all. For the short time that she had gotten to know the boy, she'd grown to care for him, worried that for however stable he showed himself, he was torn apart on the inside.

She approached the bedside and shook his shoulder gently, trying to rouse him from his sleep. He didn't respond, simply tossing and turning at the gentle touch. The professor tried again, shaking a little harder, talking quietly in hopes it would help wake him up.

"Come on Jaune. Wake up. Please wake up..." The witch continued to repeat the phrase, waiting for some sort of response from him.

It took longer than expected, but Jaune blinked, his eyes squinting open, revealing emotions that he usually didn't show when he was completely awake. When he saw the blonde woman standing there next to him, Glynda could see happiness, love, yearning, and... and a little bit of hope.

"M-mom?" Came the quiet question, before Jaune's brain woke up a little more. Professor Goodwitch swallowed thickly, blinking rapidly as tears started to form in her eyes. She shook her head, even as she desperately wished that she could've nodded and wrapped her arms around the boy, telling him what he wanted to hear.

But that didn't happen, couldn't happen, because no matter how much she wished for it to be true, Professor Goodwitch wasn't Jaune's mother.

Jaune's mother was dead.

It only took the boy a little longer for his brain to catch up to his words, and he realized that the person kneeling next to him was not his mom, and that Professor Goodwitch had gone into his apartment, where there were dozens of bottles of alcohol strewn around.

"What're you doing here?" Jaune croaked, wincing at the headache that decided to put cleats on and stomp around on his head.

Hearing the question brought Professor Goodwitch back to reality, and she remembered why she had been so angry at him minutes before.

"Well, I decided to go and get a drink from your bar. It was quite a surprise for me _and_ a few other people to see that your place was closed." The professor crossed her arms, a frown on her face. "Would you care to explain?"

"I felt a little under the weather." Jaune handed her one of the most blatant lies he had ever said, the two of them knowing that wasn't true. The woman played along, and instead of flying into a rage at the uninspired lie, she raised a calm eyebrow instead.

"Hm. That is strange, seeing as how we met your boss." Jaune winced. "And he said something about how he was the one who sent you home." Another wince. "Because you had smelled like you poured the drinks you make for a whole night all over yourself."

"The old man wouldn't say something like that." Jaune objected, pulling himself to a sitting position.

"No, but that's exactly what you smell like at this moment."

"I-" Jaune cut himself off, his expression angry. "Why're you here?" He repeated, hands clenched into tight fists. His tone set something off inside of Glynda, and she stood up, towering above the hungover Jaune.

"I am here because I was _worried_ about you Jaune. And I was right to be."

"I'm fine." Jaune muttered, making the woman scoff and flick her fingers, causing the bottle Jaune had gripped onto earlier to fly through the air, smashing against a nearby wall.

"You're fine? This doesn't look like fine Jaune. I don't know what you think fine is, but it is _not_ drowning yourself in alcohol, especially when you are underage!" Jaune scowled, but didn't move from his spot. Professor Goodwitch started to pace back and forth, lecture nowhere near over. She was a teacher after all. "Not to mention how illegal this is. And how much harm it can do to your body! Alcohol isn't something to take lightly Jaune."

Jaune's scowl didn't change, his expression fixed as he defiantly looked at the professor. The look served to calm Glynda down a little, and she changed her tone to something a little softer, something that would appeal to Jaune a little more.

"You know all of this Jaune. You're a bartender after all. This stuff... doesn't always give you the best ideas." She took in a breath. "I know that during this time and age you think you're invincible and nothing in the world can touch you, but—"

"But what?" Jaune interrupted, swinging his legs off of the mattress. The words stopped Professor Goodwitch from speaking, surprised that he would talk back to her. "Maybe I am invincible." The boy said, sneering at her. "It doesn't really matter to you does it?"

"It does." Came the forceful reply. "It matters very much to me Jaune. You are not invincible, no matter what you think, and what has happened in your life. I know you've had a bad past but—"

"No you don't." Jaune interrupted again, his expression stormy. "You don't understand. And even if you do, it's none of your business!"

"It can be, if you just talk to me Jaune." Glynda said, her tone pleading. "Please Jaune, I just want to understand—"

"You don't need to understand. You don't need to know anything about me, you don't need to care about me, and you are NOT MY MOM!" By the end he was on his feet, shouting at the woman in front of him, his eyes bloodshot and his lungs tight. Professor Goodwitch could see tears around his eyes as he breathed in and out heavily, the shouting exerting him.

"My mom is dead." Jaune whispered. "And nothing's going to fix that. Not your worry, not your apologizing, and not your _understanding_." Jaune's head fell, his knee along with it. He covered his face with his hands, his shoulders shaking. "She's gone, professor. They're all gone."

And then he cried.

In Beacon and in public, Professor Goodwitch was seen as a strict woman, someone who didn't deal with emotions, simply results and logic. Behind closed doors however, to the people who knew her the most, she was someone different.

The other professors, her friends, would argue that she's the most emotional out of every teacher in Beacon.

Professor Goodwitch didn't even hesitate when Jaune collapsed on the ground, kneeling down beside him and wrapping him into a tight embrace, pulling him as close as she possibly could to her. She didn't say anything, didn't do anything except rub his back, letting him sob into her shoulder until he stopped.

Time wasn't a factor during this, and when the two of them separated, they didn't know how much time had passed, whether it was a minute or an hour. Quite frankly, Professor Goodwitch didn't care.

They were silent for a while, Jaune huddled up and looking at the floor, and it was obvious that his thoughts weren't in the room right now. Glynda simply sat and looked at Jaune, her heart still reaching out for him.

"I know you think that there's nothing that can be done about your family."

The professor talking brought Jaune back into the room, his eyes slowly making their way towards hers.

"And you're right. Nothing we do is going to bring back the dead." Professor Goodwitch hesitated, knowing that it's been a long time since she's had a heart to heart like this with someone. "But what we can do is honor them." The professor reached out and grabbed Jaune's hand, making him jump a little. He relaxed soon afterwards, simply content to sit there and let the woman continue talking.

"I'm sure you think that no one can understand your pain. I get it, I- I thought the same way too, when I first lost someone." Her words brought Jaune's attention, and he couldn't help but ask.

"Who did you lose?"

The witch smiled sadly, remembering the people that she lost years ago. "My partner. He was my friend, practically my family, and... and something more." She confessed, shrugging. "There was an ambush. Something we didn't account the Grimm to do. There were too many and..." It was strange, how it happened so long ago, yet when she talked about it, it felt as if it was yesterday. The memories choked her, and she paused, trying to regain her footing.

"He held them back while you ran away?" Jaune asked quietly. The professor nodded, thankful that Jaune had given her enough time to recompose herself.

"Exactly that. He was... a hero. Someone who always believed in doing the right thing, and he loved... he loved the team. He had said multiple times that he would give his life up without a thought for us. I just never thought he would have to actually do it." Even with the amount of control that she had, she couldn't help but let a few tears go, the drops trailing down her cheek. She drew in a breath though, and continued talking.

"That was only the first of the many people I lost." She said. "Do you know how many students I teach every year at Beacon?" Jaune shook his head no. "Hundreds. Every year there are hundreds of students, kids even younger than you sometimes, that get into this school." Professor Goodwitch paused, letting Jaune imagine the number before asking, "Do you know how many die?"

Jaune didn't answer, his gaze uncertain when directed at her.

"Dozens." She answered her own question in a whisper.

"Every year, there are dozens of students who die from anything and everything. Grimm attacks, White Fang terrorists, protecting the innocent, _accidents_. If I had to name everyone who died that I had taught, we would be here all night." Jaune's expression turned empathetic. She continued to talk, trying not to think too deeply about it. "When I first started teaching at Beacon, it was horrifying. People died so much and every single one of them was my fault." Jaune wanted to say something, to comfort the woman and tell her that it wasn't because of her. "I know what you're thinking. It wasn't my fault. Except it was." Professor Goodwitch's eyes turned regretful.

"If only I had taught them more. If only I had given the right advice, if only I had pushed them harder, made them work harder, showed them more options to do what's right." She sighed, looking through the window in Jaune's room. "If only I had taught them to run away as well as they fought."

"That's asking too much of you." Came Jaune response, his face hard. "You shouldn't be expected to help every student in there. They knew the risks."

Glynda smiled and nodded. "That's right. They knew the risks. It doesn't make it hurt any less though, does it?"

Jaune closed his mouth, looking away as he drew the parallels between them. "No." Jaune said quietly. "It doesn't."

"Then stop trying to push it away." The professor said gently. "Drinking isn't going to help anything. It's just running away from the problem. Face it head on, and take it as a lesson to make you stronger. So when—and it will happen again, believe me—you lose someone again, you won't have to say 'I should have tried harder'."

There was a nod, then a shaking of a shoulders as Jaune started tearing up again. Like before, the blonde woman didn't wait as she hugged him again, letting him feel the warmth and comfort, as well as trying to convey that she was _here_ and she would help. The boy wrapped his arms around her too, and let loose, not having done so since his mother held him close.


	13. Clothes Make the Man

**A/N: So... super early upload cause... well, I'm still awake I guess XD. Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas! Thanks for all the reviews last chapter about how emotional it got you. I'll be sure to write a few more of those chapters ;) Anyways, to make up for it, this one'll be a little less depressing, I hope. Enjoy :)**

 **Guest: Thanks! Really wanted to make it that way. And the answer is... :)**

 **Chapter 12: Thanks!**

 **Kurama21: Eh, doesn't really sound like Jaune, does it? XD**

 **Guest 2: Who said anything about unlocking Aura? :3**

 **Guest 3: Wow, you really flatter me. Although, I will have to admit, I didn't realize people without accounts could favorite/follow my story. XD**

* * *

Jaune hated the mornings after he drank. There was the pounding headache, the urge to never open his eyes again, and the terrible taste of vomit that seemed to linger in his mouth no matter how long he brushed his teeth. It also didn't help to see every member of team RWBY and JNPR standing in front of him, concerned looks on their faces.

He usually never minded the company, but when it was ten in the morning on a weekday while he was having a massive hangover?

Yeah, not something he was a big fan of.

It was nice to know his, what were they? Friends? It was nice to know that his friends cared about him enough to check up on him, but he would've appreciated it more if they had waited until he was a bit more clear headed. Working long enough at the bar helped Jaune pick up a few tricks for curing hangovers, but many of the more effective ones took a little time to make, and when Hunters and Huntresses busted down the doors before Jaune could even open the bar, there wasn't much time for that kind of thing.

So Jaune was left with a tiny malicious man wielding a jackhammer residing in his head, finding the softest parts to drill into. Hand on his face, Jaune continued to try and block out his friends' worried voices and try to find some peace. It didn't happen, seeing as how some of the Huntresses were loud enough that they would never need a bullhorn to be heard.

Finally he cracked, holding out his hands to stop the flow of incoming words. The group shut up, seeing Jaune in pain and casting worried glances at each other, before asking him if he was alright, their voices making a terrible racket even when they were talking in a normal tone of voice.

"Guys, guys! Please. Just. Stop talking." Jaune said hoarsely, his throat hating him for even having to talk. The group could see how much he struggled to function, and realized that they weren't helping very much, sheepishly turning down the concern for him and finding some seats to pull up, ready to patiently wait for as long as possible to make sure that the bartender was alright. Jaune sighed, gathering enough energy to talk quietly.

"I appreciate all of your concern. Really. But I'm fine. Yesterday was... an anniversary of... my family's death. And I got a little out of control. I promise it won't happen again." Jaune said the words carefully, making sure that he chose the appropriate words that would satisfy the crowd in front of him.

It didn't look like it succeeded, most of them looking either suspicious or still worried about him. Jaune sighed in resignation, knowing that nothing he could say would really set their fears aside. Combing his hair back in frustration, Jaune huffed a breath, closing his eyes.

"Okay. How about I promise that if anything like this happens again, I'll make sure to give you guys a call?"

"Really?" Blake asked, skeptical of the promise, crossing her arms.

"Really?!" Nora asked, jumping up excitedly.

"Really?" Ruby asked quietly, eyes wide, making sure that he wasn't lying.

"I don't quite believe that." Weiss said imperiously, sticking her nose in the air.

Again Jaune sighed, simply shrugging and giving up, waving a hand of dismissal to them.

"I don't see why you guys are so worried. I'm fine, and Professor Goodwitch is already going to be keeping a close eye on me." The entrance to his bar swung open, attracting Jaune's attention. "And now if you all could go back to Beacon, I have customers to serve."

Pointedly ignoring his dissatisfied friends, Jaune smiled as warmly as he possibly could through his piercing headache and greeted the girl standing in front of him.

"Welcome. Is there anything you would like?" He asked, pretending not to hear the quiet grumble of how he never treated them that way. The girl slid her sunglasses down and looked up and down at him, expression quizzical.

"I'm sorry, but you're the bartender?"

Jaune nodded, smiling tightly as the group beside him sat there, watching the two exchange words. The brunette snorted a little and shook her head, leaning back against her seat.

"Wow. I didn't realize dress standards were so... low."

Jaune glanced down at his wrinkled shirt and vest, his tie slightly askew. Nervously, and very obviously, Jaune tried to straighten up his appearance, making the girl snort derisively again.

"You're going to need a lot more than your hands to make that outfit look good on you." The girl said dismissively. Jaune let out a slow breath, keeping the smile on his face.

"I'm sorry if I look a bit of mess. I've had a rough night. I hope that won't ruin your experience today with me." The girl looked inquisitively at him, her eyes unblinking as she stared into him, considering something that Jaune couldn't give a guess to. Then came a baleful sigh and the girl waved a dismissive hand, looking away from Jaune.

"Yeah whatever. Give me a martini. Dry." The girl leaned back and crossed her legs, ignoring Jaune the moment she finished ordering the drink. The boy nodded and went to prepare the drink, something that didn't take long with such a simple drink. Pushing it towards the girl, Jaune smiled, waiting for her initial reaction. The girl lifted the drink up, giving it a doubtful stare before taking a tentative sip, tasting the drink before judging the boy. The girl's eyebrows slowly went up and more and more of the drink disappeared, before she set it back down, licking her lips as she did so. A moment of silence passed before the girl nodded at Jaune.

"Alright then. Not as bad as I thought." The girl admitted, sliding it back to Jaune, who smiled victoriously at her and went to refill the drink. Jaune turned to the concerned group standing beside them and rolled his eyes, shooing them away with his hands.

"Go. I'll be fine. Promise. Leave before I make you guys leave." Jaune said sternly.

Weiss gave a loud humph and crossed her arms, tilting her head upwards. "And just _how_ are you going to make us leave?" The boy raised a single eyebrow and crossed his arms as well, standing up straight.

"Oh. Well. Maybe I'll just tell everyone about how you secretly sneak Blake's—"

"I think we should depart now." Weiss interrupted abruptly, face turning shockingly red. The others looked at her, then turned their gazes towards Jaune, understanding that it wasn't only Weiss's dirty secrets he had a hold of. Slowly and reluctantly, the group dispersed, filtering out of the bar with scowls and grimaces, letting Jaune win this battle.

When the blonde turned to look at his newest customer, he saw a gleam of respect in her eyes, her chin bobbing up and down as she nodded towards him.

"Not bad at all." She said idly, making Jaune squirm under her gaze. Pushing the second martini towards the girl, Jaune decided to introduce himself.

"My name's Jaune. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said formally, holding out his gloved hand. The girl's fingers slid smoothly into his grip, shaking the hand twice.

"Coco." She said simply. The beret wearing girl kept a hold of his hand for a second longer than necessary before letting go. "Interesting gloves you've got there. A very well known brand, but well worn, used for much longer than I'm guessing you've actually worked here?" Jaune blinked in surprise at how accurate the statement was, nodding as he fixed said gloves.

"Yeah, they were hand-me-downs."

Coco nodded again, tapping her chin. "I see. It's strange. The gloves, I mean." She said, pointing at them. "They most certainly work for bartending, but... they aren't usually the go-to gloves for this kind of job."

Jaune let out a small laugh, hands disappearing under the counter, hiding them from her sight. Not that it mattered to Coco, seeing as how she had plenty of time to look at them earlier. "I didn't realize you were an expert at bartending gloves." The boy joked, sweat forming as Coco continued to pierce into him with her gaze.

"No, you're right. I'm not an expert at bartending gloves. What I _am_ an expert at is Hunter clothing, which coincidentally, is what you seem to be the exact type of gloves that you're wearing. Care to explain?"

"Not really." Jaune said lightly, his smile barely a smile anymore, and more of a grimace. "Now, unless it's against for a civilian to own Hunter clothing, I don't think this subject is up for debate anymore."

Coco raised both her hands up, shrugging carelessly. "Alright then man. No need to get your off-brand boxers in a twist." Jaune flushed and withdrew, muttering something about helping out the other customers. The girl didn't do anything to acknowledge him except lift her glass up to her lips, taking a long sip from the martini. Jaune took that as her silent permission to leave, and he did so, taking care of some of the customers that had meandered in while he was serving Coco.

He had a hard time facing the girl, her stare making it difficult for him to look at her without getting really nervous. Glad that he had created a bit more space between the two of them, Jaune happily took his time making sure that everyone in his bar was satisfied before reluctantly making his way back to her. Standing there, Jaune wasn't sure of what to say, and instead remained silent, hands trying to find something to do, cleaning glasses and the like just to keep the appearance of being busy.

Coco didn't help him at all, simply content in sitting there and enjoying her martini, refusing to do the socially acceptable thing and not stare at the bartender. Finally, Jaune broke, coughing slightly into his sleeve.

"I'm sorry Coco, but can I ask you to stop staring at me? You're making me uncomfortable." Jaune confessed, hoping that she would comply to his demands. The girl continued to stare at him while her gloved fingertips tapped at her glass, before drawing in a breath to speak.

"Okay. I'll stop staring at you if you answer my question." She offered, her tone serious. Jaune wasn't sure he wanted to answer any question that she was going to ask, but decided that it would be better than having to endure her soul searching gazes for who knows how long. Jaune nodded slowly, waiting for her to ask the question.

"Where did you get those gloves from?" The tone was quiet, deadly, and Jaune could feel that there was an undertone of danger that he could detect, but wasn't sure why he felt it. He decided not to lie and answer her truthfully, his voice shaking slightly as he answered.

"They were, uh, they were my dad's." Jaune answered back just as quietly as before, hands nervously tapping the counter in front of him. "He used to be a Hunter and... well." Jaune wasn't sure how he wanted to end that sentence, deciding to simply shrug and hope that would be enough to make Coco happy.

It wasn't.

"What's your name?" She asked, eyes still boring into him. Jaune frowned, not understanding what she was trying to ask.

"Jaune."

"And your last name?" Coco said, leaning forward a little. Jaune shivered, but his spine turned to steel, eyes hardening at the question.

"Just Jaune." He said firmly, not afraid to lean forward towards the girl as well. Before Jaune could react, Coco snarled, hands reaching over and grabbing onto his vest, pulling him forward.

" _What is your last name?_ " She hissed, her mouth almost touching his nose. Jaune wasn't going to have any of it though, and grabbed her hands as well, glaring back at her.

"I don't think you're thinking this through." Jaune said as calmly as he possibly could, tilting his head towards the room behind her. Coco tilted her head around and saw several of the patrons out of their seats, scowls on their faces as they saw Jaune being threatened. For the first time since she walked in here, the brunette girl hesitated, not wanting to fight innocent civilians, even if she was sure that she could beat them all without much trouble. Deciding that it wasn't worth the trouble, Coco let go, angrily shoving Jaune backwards, sending him stumbling backwards, flailing to try and find some footing.

The crowd that formed surged forward, ready to forcibly eject Coco out of the premises before Jaune held up a hand, stopping them in their tracks. With another small gesture, Jaune sent them back to their tables, although none of them really took their eyes off of the girl sitting in front of Jaune, unperturbed.

"That's quite some loyalty you've got there." Coco said evenly, looking at the fallen Jaune over her sunglasses. The bartender straightened himself up, his mind clearing up as the adrenaline of the exchange with Coco banished the last vestiges of his hangover for the moment.

"Thank you." Jaune replied back just as evenly, nodding to her. There was an understanding between the two of them, having metaphorically flexed their muscles to each other, making sure that the other knew that they wouldn't back down from the provocation.

There was a bit of silence as Coco drank her martini again, and Jaune mentally realigned himself, straightening out his clothes a little more and glancing at the mirrored shelf behind him, trying to check if he was presentable enough.

"Better." Came the reply from Coco, to which Jaune nodded gratefully, happy that he was falling back into the bartending routine.

The was a notable sigh from Jaune, who broke the ice between the two of them, asking, "Why did you want to know about my... name?"

The girl lifted her head, her sunglasses reflecting the dim bar lights. Her fingers tapped against the wood slowly, rhythmically as she considered the question.

"When I was younger, I was saved by a man. Wore the worst clothes I had ever seen a guy wear. Like a pair of ratty jeans and a hoodie or something. Looked absolutely stupid." Coco said, waving her hand. "But his gloves were... exquisite. A little worn but... wonderfully made." She pointed to Jaune's hands, which twitched involuntarily. "The same gloves you seem to be wearing right now."

She put her hand down, lifting her drink back up to her lips before holding it out, showing that it was empty. Jaune took the glass from her hands and started to make another.

"That's... quite the story," Jaune allowed, before adding, "but are you sure that these are the same gloves? I mean, it's not like these are one of a kind." Coco nodding, knowing that Jaune was telling the truth.

"Yes, there are probably tons of those gloves. But I don't think every single one of them would have a deep cut on the left palm that came from a boarbatusk."

Jaune lifted his hand, looking at his gloves. Coco didn't need to point out the mark, simply waiting for the bartender to say something. Instead, Jaune let out a breath and finished Coco's martini, sliding it towards her. She took it, but didn't drink, waiting patiently for the boy to say something.

"That was probably my dad." Jaune said quietly. Coco waited a little while longer, but Jaune didn't say anything else, simply standing there and staring off to the side.

"Well. Do you have a way to contact him?" Coco asked, her tone slightly eager. "I never got to thank him for saving me... and he was one of the reasons why I became a Huntress." The girl added, shrugging nonchalantly. Jaune stayed silent, fingers still for once as he listened to her. The silence told more to Coco than Jaune would have thought, as she blinked once and frowned, letting out a quiet 'oh'.

"He's... dead, isn't he?" Coco said falteringly. Jaune's fingers gripped the countertop as he nodded stiffly, not meeting her eyes when he did so.

Silence seemed to be the predominant mood of communication this evening, as the two of them fell into it again, not speaking as their thoughts wandered.

Jaune's dad was a great hunter, Jaune recalled. He wasn't home very often, but the days that he was, he wasn't a Hunter in Jaune's eyes. He was a father. The two of them rarely spoke of Nicholas's duties, instead focusing on tales of grandeur, and the occasional snippet of advice from his father that wasn't always helpful in life, like 'be confident'.

The blonde bartender had a strong resemblance to his father. If he had grown out a beard, filled out a bit more, and carried himself confidently, most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Jaune also remembered running away, watching his dad frantically push him through the gates as he fought of a pack of Beowulfs at the same time. Jaune could remember the determination in his dad's eyes, ready to lay down his life to protect his family. Well...

One out of eight children surviving wasn't a bad score, right?

Jaune let out a breath and opened his eyes, looking at the girl in front of him.

"Please," Jaune said quietly, his tone pleading. His voice made it hard for Coco to ignore him. "Please don't tell anyone about this." Whether he was talking about how she knew his dad or that his dad was dead, the girl wasn't completely sure, but she nodded nevertheless.

This wasn't something that she should be sticking her nose in anyways.

"Thank you." Jaune whispered, smiling genuinely towards her. The girl waved the boy aside, thinking nothing of it.

"Go take care of your other customers," Coco said, shooing him away. "I'm good here for now." The bartender nodded gratefully, and after double checking and making another martini for the girl, he departed to the other tables, laughing and serving the other guests, reassuring them that he was alright.

Coco continued to look at the boy, a little more subtly this time, profiling him silently. He carried himself quietly, if that was a way to describe him. He walked self-consciously, as if trying his best to reduce the space that he occupied. He had been hurt badly, Coco gathered, and was still trying to recover from it.

Jaune wasn't really thinking anything, actually trying his hardest _not_ to think, keeping himself busy with anything and everything around his bar. Bringing up his dad after such a rough night yesterday wasn't going to be very productive for him, and as much as he enjoyed falling into a comatose state of grief, he'd rather try and move on through the pain.

As he finished refilling the last of his customer's drinks, he heard a soft whisper, something that made him turn his head a little.

"—une."

He didn't see anything when he turned, and so assumed that one of the patrons had called out his name. With that in mind, he made an extra round around the tables and checked up on the people there, making sure that they had everything they needed.

"Jaune."

Again the word seemed to be whispered in his ear, causing him to jerk in surprise and accidentally spill his latest drink onto a man, causing him to curse in a knee-jerk response. Jaune apologized profusely, and offered a free drink, even though the man insisted it was fine. Finishing up over there though, Jaune made his way back behind his counter, looking uncertainly at the girl sitting in front of him. He stood there staring at her without saying a word, to the point where she let an eyebrow rise in curiosity.

"What?"

"... You didn't... call out for me, did you?" Jaune asked.

"No." She replied back, her face confused. "I'm pretty sure if I called out to you, you _definitely_ would've noticed."

"Right." Jaune replied, laughing uneasily. "Right, sorry."

Coco continued to stare at the boy, trying to decipher him. There was something that she couldn't quite figure out about him, something that set out her Huntress 'danger' radar, but didn't make her hair stand on end either.

Letting out a slow breath, Coco gestured at Jaune, telling him to come closer. Coco whispered into his ear, her warm breath making the boy blush a little.

"I know you might be hurting. And I'm sure you've got a few friends who would be more than willing to help you out. But if you ever need someone who won't judge you... well." Coco straightened back up again, causing Jaune to tilt up his head to continue looking at her.

"Well, the drinks and company here are pretty good to come back for." Coco said in her normal volume, winking over her sunglasses before finishing up the last bit of her martini, pulling out some lien from her purse. Placing the bill's worth of drinks, along with a handy bit more as the tip, she stood up.

"There's a bit extra in there. Maybe use that to get something that fits you a bit better. Appearances are kind of important in this businesses after all."

This time it was Jaune's turn to raise an eyebrow, smirking at the girl. "Thanks. I'm sure I can find a good replacement for these gloves then." Jaune wiggled his fingers slightly, making Coco snort in amusement.

"Actually, the gloves are fine." She said, waving her hand. "It's the person attached to it that needs a bit of fixing up." Before Jaune could snark back at her, Coco turned around, waving her fingers as she departed. "Ta-ta!"

As the door closed shut with a click, Jaune closed his mouth, shaking his head in amusement. His clients seemed to just get weirder and weirder.


	14. Flickering Doubts

**A/N: Happy New Years! Finished this one a little earlier and though it would be a good start for the year to upload this today.**

 **I hope y'all enjoyed the last chapter. I hope you guys enjoy this one, I tried a different spin on this character, hopefully I made her a little sympathetic, along with giving her a few motivations for doing what she does. Holy hell this broke the five thousand word mark, so literally the longest chapter I've ever done. Achievement get! Hahaha XD Hope y'all have a wonderful New Years! Enjoy!**

 **Marshmallow: Hahaha XD underage doesn't mean anything. I'm still a year or so away from legal drinking age too :P Thanks for the review, I'm glad you decided to give this story a chance :) And I update this story every Tuesday, barring holidays (and my whimsical, earlier than usual updates, like today XD). Usually. ^-^**

 **A stranger without an account: Wow, that's some dedication. You do realize that I update this story every Tuesday (mostly), right? XD**

* * *

There were a lot of differences between a Hunter and a Bartender. One makes sure that the people around him are safe and happy, going above and beyond to do what's right.

The other kills Grimm.

Joking aside, Jaune knew that there were things that he lacked that made it difficult for him to be a competent Hunter, not that it's stopped him from trying before. Of course, there's also several things that would have made him a _fantastic_ Hunter. His acute sense of knowing a dangerous situation for example. It was a shame that he often ignored it.

His sense of danger rarely went off while he was in his bar. There wasn't much that he couldn't handle with his authority, as well as the protection of simply being the person who served good drinks to everyone that came here.

But when he looked at the newest addition that walked into his bar, with her black heels clacking against the aged wooden floor, the first thought in his mind drowned out every other thought.

Run.

His body locked in place for a second, nothing moving inside the bar, as if time stopped, no one even breathing.

She was gorgeous, and that was looking at an objective standpoint, as Jaune usually liked a completely different type of woman. She had raven black locks, her eyes almost glowing like a faunus's would, but it was obvious that she wasn't one. She wore a simple red dress that complimented every part of her figure, and she practically glided along the floor as she walked, the only noise that anyone inside could hear was the sound of her heels hitting the floor. It was enchanting.

It was terrifying.

She stopped in front of the bartender, giving a small smile that gave him tingles along his back, but also made him fight a shiver from rising along him. Never before had Jaune received such contradictory signals of 'run and hide' and 'kneel in front of her'. She wasn't an ordinary woman, that was for sure. And that scared the Dust out of Jaune.

"I hope I haven't come at an inconvenient time." The woman said quietly. She didn't whisper, instead talking in a low volume that traveled easily through the room. It helped that there was no other noise as well, everyone still not daring to move. She waited in front of Jaune, until it became apparent that he needed to reply.

"I-it's not. Inconvenient. Would you, ah, like something? To drink, I mean?" The normally smooth Jaune tried to straighten out his speech pattern, but every time he met her eyes, his thoughts faltered, making it hard for him to act professional. As he berated himself silently about how awkward that was, the woman smiled gently, nodding as if he hadn't just massively flubbed his words.

"Yes, thank you. Please give me the best wine that you carry."

"T-the best?" Jaune asked, uncertain. Most people didn't order wines when they came to the bar, but he did keep a modest stock somewhere in the cellar, although most of them are pretty high priced.

The woman's eyes flashed in briefly, but she kept her polite smile on her face. "Will that be a problem?" Her tone didn't change, but Jaune's back straightened, the hairs on the back of her neck rising.

"No! Of course… not. Let me just go grab the bottle. So that I can drink—I mean pour it. For you." The blonde cringed and decided to just cut his losses, scampering away, not wanting to look behind him. The brief chat with the woman lasted barely a minute, but turned Jaune into a complete idiot, as he dropped his keys trying to grab them. It took another three or four tries before he found the right key to unlock the cellar doors.

Closing the door gently behind him, Jaune didn't take a step further, resting his head on the door.

"I am an idiot." He whispered to himself, knocking the door repeatedly with his forehead. Just when he thought he was able to move past his lack of self confidence, something came to remind him that he was still the same boy as the one that ran away from his family less than a year ago, leaving them to die.

Fists tightened as he tried to fight the growing chasm that threatened to swallow him, closing his eyes and forcing himself to remember. To remember that he was helping, and that people cared for him. _Count to ten_ , Jaune thought to himself.

 _One_.

Lonely Penny, finding friends as she found her place in the world, as she continued to be reassured that she was as human as the rest of them.

 _Two._

Immature Ruby, and how she learned to grow, to become the leader that her team needed, that Jaune knew she could be if she just learned to be stronger.

 _Three._

Overworked Glynda, who found in Jaune someone to care for, someone to relax with so that she wasn't stressed out every waking moment, someone he depended on just as much as she depended on him.

 _Four—_

Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder, freaking him out, as no one should be down in the cellar except for him. Whipping his head around though, he discovered no one, except maybe the barest flicker of a shadow in the corner of his eyes that faded quickly enough that Jaune wasn't sure if he had imagined it. Blinking slowly, Jaune looked around again, as if trying to see if there was anyone that was hiding.

Shaking his head, he banished those thoughts, grabbing the bottle of Valean Wine, heading back upstairs. Pausing at the door, Jaune turned around one more time, peering into the darkness that hid the room. He could have sworn that he saw…

No, that was impossible.

Jaune locked the cellar behind him and slid back behind the bar counter, smiling at the woman in front of him. At this point in time, everyone had slowly gotten used to the woman's presence, and chatter was slowly beginning to get louder, the alcohol helping everyone's courage.

Presenting the wine to the woman, Jaune waited to see the woman's reaction. The raven-haired beauty sat there with a raised eyebrow, nodding once after her eyes roved up and down the bottle. With a small flourish, Jaune popped the cork and started to pour the drink into a waiting wine glass, handing it to the woman. She reached out and grabbed the stem, gently brushing Jaune's hand while doing so. Withdrawing, Jaune let his hands slide under the counter, where he rubbed the spot that she touched, his skin unusually warm from the brief contact.

"Thank you Jaune." She said, smiling as she sipped the glass, closing her eyes in pleasure before placing the wine back down, hands on her lap.

"Happy to serve." Jaune said automatically, glad that his professionalism was finally taking hold. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Miss…?"

"Just Cinder, please." The woman in the red dress said quickly, hand touching Jaune's chest. He swallowed nervously and took a step back, feeling incredibly hot in his suit.

"Cinder, then." Jaune corrected himself as she withdrew, looking pleased with herself. She raised her glass again, silently toasting, but to what, Jaune wasn't sure before drinking again. Jaune couldn't help but think that she was playing with him, which aggravated him. Once again ignoring the voice in his head to just play along and let her leave as fast as possible, Jaune leaned forwards, smiling.

"What do you think of the alcohol content in the wine, Miss Cinder?" Jaune asked, surprising Cinder with his forwardness. Returning the favor, the dark haired woman decided to answer truthfully.

"It is… disappointing. But when you have aura, there aren't many drinks that can satisfy you." She answered, looking straight into his eyes. She expected him to back down, Jaune realized. The woman in front of him was used to getting her way, used to things falling in place in front of her. _Well_ , Jaune thought to himself, _that's going to have to change_.

"Mmm, I had a feeling you had aura." Jaune snapped his fingers, looking thoughtful. "Say, would you like something… stronger?" Jaune said carefully, hiding the anticipation rising in his stomach. "I have something specially made to give a good… kick to Hunters and Huntresses." Cinder's eyes flashed with unknown emotion at the mention of Hunters, as well as a larger, more easily identifiable emotion lurking behind her big eyes.

Curiosity.

Cinder had to admit that she had known about this place for quite a while now, and the longer the place stood, the stranger the rumors grew around it. Of how everyone who was anyone seemed to visit the bar, from the General of Atlas himself to the right hand woman of Headmaster Ozpin. And the rumor that they had both left… well, not flat out drunk, but noticeably inebriated?

It was a mystery that Cinder couldn't have resisted even if she tried.

Pausing a little longer to make sure she looked uncertain, the woman nodded, giving Jaune a small smile.

"Yes, I'd quite like to see if your claim is unfounded or not."

Taking that as a yes, Jaune turned and procured his proudest achievement, a dark bottle of swishing liquid, about little less than half full. The bartender frowned a little, noting the level of liquid and making a note to himself to fill it back up soon. Taking out a shot glass, Jaune paused, looking back at the elegant Cinder.

"Ah what the heck." Jaune muttered to himself, before bringing out a special cocktail glass, filling it with a very strong gin, along with some lemon and grapefruit juice, adding in a few other things as well, like citrus syrup before topping it with his Hunter's drink. Cinder looked at him, her face collected into an unimpressed mask, even though her eyes followed Jaune's every move.

Making sure that Cinder was looking at him, Jaune grabbed a long-nosed lighter and placed it close to the rim of the glass and flicked it on, lighting the drink aflame. The fire licked the nozzle of the lighter for a second before Jaune withdrew it and let the fire finish burning, the tendrils flickering lazily on top of the drink. Jaune wasn't sure what he expected to see when he looked back at Cinder, but the last emotion he was expecting certainly wasn't pleasure.

The smile on her face looked content and lazy, and the flames on the glass reflected off of her eyes, which looked relaxed and distant, as if she was thinking about something. As the fire faded away, the woman's expression slowly closed back up, her fingers deftly grabbing the stem of the glass, tilting her head towards the bartender.

Taking a sip, Cinder's eyes widened, before sliding half closed, an expression resembling ecstasy filtering through, making Jaune's cough uncomfortably. The woman caught his expression and smirked, lowering the glass.

"Something wrong, Mr. Bartender?" Cinder teased. Jaune shook his head, a light blush across his face as he did so. Cinder shrugged and continued to drink, savoring the taste as slowly as she possibly could, for the first time letting herself feel the alcohol coursing through her body, making her warm. "Tell me," She said abruptly, "What's this called?"

Jaune shrugged sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I never really thought of a name for it. I've always just thought of it as a 'my drink' or something. It's not really… on the menu, so I wasn't ever required to make up a name for it." Jaune explained. The woman in the red dressed hummed, stroking the glass with her fingertip, looking thoughtful.

"I think you should have a name for this. It would be… a shame, I would say, for something so wonderful not to have a name."

"And why's that?" Jaune asked, bemused. The woman tapped the counter with her fingernail, a sly smile spreading across her face.

"Because, _Jaune_ , names," Cinder said, raising her hand, stroking Jaune's cheek with her palm. "Names have power." She said quietly. "And it would be a disservice to the world if I had to praise such a drink and wasn't able to give the name out to anyone I described it to." Cinder shook her head slowly. "Such a shame."

Jaune tried to swallow past the lump in his throat, but found that he couldn't, and decided to squeak out his answer instead of stand there and suffocate. "I-I'll give it some thought then." Cinder nodded, withdrawing her hand and taking another drink, waiting a second to enjoy the flavor before continuing to speak.

"I think you should name it… Firebrand."

The bartender blinked, looking at the woman before noticing her glass was empty, deciding to refill it, adding just a splash more of his concoction into the martini and lighting it on fire. He waited until he was finished with everything and handed the drink to her before speaking.

"Why?" Came the simple question, Jaune curious about her motivations to name the drink. Cinder paused, the drink halfway up in the air before she set it back down, her seductive smile back in place.

"Why not? After all, the feeling it gives when it just _burns_ down my throat is so… exquisite, Jaune, that I don't think any other drink will ever… compare." Cinder said, letting a finger trail from her chin until it hit her collarbone, letting Jaune follow the line. "Just a sip… brands me for life." She said, smirking at the captivated Jaune. It was only his sixth sense that was screaming that she was going to murder him that allowed Jaune to snap out of his spell.

"Uh yeah. I'll think about it." Jaune said. It was a good name, he had to admit, but it was also _his_ drink. He wasn't going to let anyone name it but him. Cinder smiled understandingly and drank from her glass, before settling it down and asking another question.

"How much would it cost for me to acquire a bottle of your drink?" The woman asked casually, looking at Jaune. The boy hesitated, sliding the bottle away into its compartment.

"It's not… really for sale. It takes a while to make it," Jaune explained, "and I'm not really putting a price on it. Think of it as a… complimentary add-on to your drink." Cinder raised an eyebrow before pouting, leaning forward.

"Oh. That's quite the disappointment." Cinder sighed, making Jaune's eyes flicker up and down for a second before he could control himself. "I'm sure many would pay top dollar for a drink like this." Cinder tapped her glass, making it ring out softly.

"E-even so." Jaune said firmly. "I simply _can't_ sell bottles of this stuff." Cinder's lips thinned into a line, her eyes flashing dangerously, but Jaune still refused to back down. The standoff took a second or two, but lasted a lifetime for the two of them, before both broke eye contact, Cinder taking another sip of her drink, face schooled to hide her anger.

"Very well." Cinder sighed, relenting. "I suppose I will just have to come here more often for this." The woman handed Jaune her empty glass, which he took happily, glad that she wasn't going to pursue the issue.

"Thank you." Jaune said, frowning for a second as he found parts of the glass warped from what looked like extreme heat. "Why would you need a bottle of it anyways?" Jaune asked, curious. "Unless you've got a party to throw with only Hunters and Huntresses, it'd take you a while to go through the whole thing." Cinder waved her hand, grabbing the new glass offered by Jaune.

"I was simply hoping for something to tide me over for a while. I don't always have… the time to go out."

"Too busy?" Jaune asked conversationally.

"Something along those lines." Cinder answered back with a small smile. Jaune nodded, deciding that he would just throw away the glass, with there being nothing he could do to fix the glass.

"Well, it's always a good idea to take a break from work." Jaune said hypocritically, smiling at Cinder. The woman shook her head, her eyes shining in a sadder light.

"Some things simply cannot be put off." She said quietly. Jaune paused what he was doing, looking at the woman sitting in front of him. There wasn't much of a change physically, Cinder still sitting elegantly, her aura poised. But… there was something else to her. Something that Jaune could almost point out.

"You would be surprised." Jaune answered back, making Cinder look up in question. "Some things are more important than the job."

"And what if it was your goal to finish this job?" Cinder asked quietly, her eyes piercing through Jaune. The boy paused, thinking about her question.

"Then you definitely need some time off." Jaune answered back honestly, surprising the woman. "You would be surprised, but taking a rest every once in a while might actually help you finish the job faster." Jaune shrugged, looking a distance away. "At the very least, you won't make as many mistakes and make things worse accidentally." Jaune added, this time a lot quieter, almost as if he was talking to himself. Cinder heard what he said of course, and nodded to herself.

It was true that she was overworking herself. Barely a night went by when she needed to meet up with her contacts, set up her plans, train her underlings. And the days she had free were spent furthering her plans and training to hone her skills, newly acquired or not. She could hardly afford a day's worth of rest.

Cinder had been silent for a while, tracing her finger along the rim of the glass as Jaune watched, waiting to see if she would reply. Suddenly she looked up, eyes focused.

"Tell me Jaune…" Cinder paused, before continuing. "Do you believe in destiny?"

The blonde bartender was caught off guard by the question, and couldn't think of a very appropriate response.

"Uh." Jaune said eloquently, "I- I don't think so? It's… it's hard for me to accept that the world works for a reason." He confessed, shrugging. How could he believe such a thing? It's a little hard to swallow that his whole family died just because 'there was a plan' that the world held.

"You've lost people before." Cinder pointed out, bringing him out of his thoughts. It was an obvious conclusion when looking at the bartender's expression. Jaune looked at her with a conflicted expression, before nodding. She nodded back, picking up the glass. "I have too." Cinder said. She continued to speak, gesturing at the two of them.

"It's… hard to believe that the world would take away people so thoughtlessly, just to further its plans, don't you think so?" Cinder asked Jaune. The boy nodded, once again not saying a word. "It wouldn't be a surprise to say that many people would object against the way of the world if that was the case." The woman looked at Jaune carefully. "Sometimes, even violently." She added.

"Do you believe in destiny?" Jaune asked back at her. Cinder looked at the boy, not moving as she took him in. There was a strength in him. Something that would make him a powerful ally.

Or a dangerous enemy.

"I do not." Cinder said. "I refuse to believe that anything could control what we do, what we are going to do." Cinder tightened her grip on the glass. "And if there was," The woman paused, an ugly expression on her face. "Then I will fight it, kicking and screaming if I must."

Jaune looked at the woman, finally seeing her whole for the first time. She was dangerous, powerful. And she was hurt. There was something inside of her that burned brightly, and was lit because of disaster, because of something that had destroyed her way of life from before. And now she walked Remnant angry. She was mad and she wouldn't stop until she found her revenge, whether it was a person or the whole world that did her wrong. He should have felt fear.

Instead, Jaune felt sympathy.

The woman was nothing like Jaune, yet, he could see him in her. There was the loss that seemed to eat at her, and there was the drive which she used to turn her emotions away from the problem.

How could Jaune be scared of her, he realized, when there was a possibility one day that Jaune could turn _into_ her?

"Fighting isn't always the best solution." Jaune said quietly. He didn't know what else to say, all he knew was that he wanted to comfort her, to choke out some of that anger burning inside of her. Cinder snorted uncharacteristically, shaking her head.

"Sometimes it's the only option."

"It doesn't have to be." Jaune shot back, hands forming into fists. He wasn't sure why he was fighting so hard for this, but all he knew was that he didn't want the woman to walk out of his bar filled with the anger that he saw her carrying. Cinder didn't speak, simply looking at the resolute Jaune, her hands completely still.

"I know you're young Jaune," Cinder said, making Jaune flinch. "but I was hoping you would be mature enough to realize that sometimes the world doesn't let you have a choice." He grit his teeth, finding himself irrationally angry at the woman sitting in front of him, mad that he couldn't get through to her.

 _You can't save everyone, Jaune._

The bartender covered his face with a hand, closing his eyes. This wasn't the time to remember the past, especially not something so negative.

"Why are you trying so hard?"

The question caused Jaune to look up, question in his eyes as he looked at Cinder. Before he knew it, she had finished her glass again, this being her… Jaune couldn't even remember how many she had ingested. All he knew was that she more than likely had several too many. Regardless, Jaune's hands worked automatically, grabbing the glass and creating the burning martini, pushing it forward, although Cinder didn't make any move to take the drink.

"Why are you trying so hard," Cinder repeated, "for someone you don't even know, and want gone as fast as possible?" Jaune winced, not realizing that she had picked up on that. "Come on Jaune," Cinder said, the tiniest hint of bitterness in her voice. "it's not an unusual reaction when people meet me." Cinder glanced away for a second. "Fear _is_ an appropriate response, I suppose."

Jaune opened his mouth to try and deny it, but stopped himself from lying to her. Empty words wouldn't mean much to someone like Cinder.

"Do you… regret?" Jaune asked instead, moving away from the subject. The woman gave him an incredulous look, which was the appropriate reaction to such a vague and idiotic question. "Regret the things you've done." Jaune corrected himself. "To get to this point?" Jaune sighed, hating himself for how fragmented the question was, and repeated himself.

"Do you regret the things you've done to get here?"

Cinder looked at him, and was given two choices to decide between. To lie, to deceive like she's done so many others, and to walk away from this conversation without gaining anything but wasted time. Or she could tell the truth, reveal to him a side of her that she rarely faced. It wasn't an easy choice, and that was apparent when the both of them didn't speak a word, waiting for something, anything to break the silence.

Their reprieve was in the form of glass shattering, a patron accidentally dropping their glass, drawing everyone's attention to the short girl, blushing extraordinarily from the attention. Jaune looked back at Cinder, who held a thoughtful expression on her face as she looked at the girl.

"Pardon me for a second." Jaune muttered, sliding out of his bar to help the girl out. Cinder only nodded once as indication that she heard.

Casting the conversation with the beautiful woman to the back of his mind for the moment, Jaune approached the mortified girl, smiling brightly towards her. Without asking if she needed help, Jaune knelt down with the dustpan that he had grabbed on his way towards her and started to clear up the glass, reassuring her that it was alright.

"Don't worry about it," Jaune said again, laughing it off. "Breaking glass is something that happens pretty regularly at the bar. Although you are going to have to pay for it." Jaune added seriously. The girl agreed wholeheartedly, happy to reimburse him. Making sure there was nothing left of the shattered glass, Jaune stood up, smiling at her. "There you go. All finished."

"Thank you." She said quietly, before glancing over at the bar and leaning towards the bartender. Jaune subconsciously leaned in as well, lending him her ear.

"Are you in trouble? I can call the cops if you need me to." She whispered to him. Jaune raised his eyebrows in surprise, turning towards the girl. It was obvious that she was nervous, and definitely not confident enough to even try talking any louder for fear of Cinder hearing. It was also obvious that she was determined to help him in any way if he was in trouble. It was humbling to see his customers have this sort of loyalty towards him.

"Thank you." Jaune said sincerely. "But I'm not in trouble. In fact," Jaune added, giving a quick look at the lonesome figure sitting at the bar. "She might be the one that needs the help more than I would." He said, chuckling.

The girl's brow furrowed, confusion setting in. "Why would you help her? She—well," The girl glanced back down towards the ground before flicking back up towards him. "She seems dangerous." Jaune agreed with that observation, but… well. Call it a weakness of his.

"Just because someone looks like… unapproachable… doesn't mean they need help any less."

The girl still didn't look like she agreed. In fact, she had a visible frown on her face as she shook her head.

"You can't save everyone Jaune." She said stubbornly. And for that second, Jaune saw his little sister, adamant with her eyes stern. His third youngest sister Lilith had never liked him, even though he went above and beyond to try and accommodate her. It was simply just a difference of ideals between the two of them that caused the rocky waters. But he still loves her. Loved her, Jaune corrected himself mentally.

Jaune blinked and was back in the bar again, instead of outside his home, desperately trying to save a crow that had broken its wing flying at a window, Lilith trying to pull him back into the house.

"Maybe not." He said shakily, taking in a breath. "But that doesn't mean I shouldn't try."

Departing from the table, Jaune emptied the contents of the dustpan into the trash and went back to his usual spot, expression much more confident than before. Cinder looked at him.

"Yes." She said.

Jaune stopped, trying to recall what she was answering. Cinder could see him struggling and rolled her eyes.

"I do. Regret." Cinder said shortly. With that word Jaune remembered what they were talking about and nodded, understanding.

"Ah."

The two of them fell silent.

"You know, you might not think that you have no other options,"

"I don't." Came the reply.

"But you don't seem to be the type of person to be satisfied with being forced to do anything." Jaune continued, ignoring her interruption. "Are you?"

Cinder simply raised an eyebrow, as if the answer was obvious. Which it was.

"Right." Jaune said, carrying on. "So create your own options. Surely, someone like you can do that?"

"Of course." Cinder replied automatically, scowling at the thought of being viewed as helpless, even if it was the causality of the world that made her so. When Jaune's hands touched hers, she froze, every muscle tensing up as if ready to spring and attack him, her body temperature rising to a dangerous degree.

"Then make options. You aren't restrained by the world. Command and bend the world to your standards. Do what you believe is right, not what you think's the only option for you." Cinder stared at the hand on hers, eyes wide as she took in his words. She wasn't some damsel in distress, and she wasn't someone who was going to quietly and obediently go along with anyone's plans without furthering her own, even if it was the world scheming against her. Maybe… Maybe there were things that she could do. Maybe there wouldn't be the needless bloodshed and the needless murder to achieve her plans. Looking at the boy she could see his eyes shining hopefully, a hesitant smile on his face. It filled her with hope, filled her with a feeling of wanting to change, wanting to take control. But…

She remembered who was watching over her, who had given her this opportunity to change the world. She remembered that hope and belief can't solve every problem out there, and she's seen it firsthand. She remembered that sometimes, all that happens when you push against the world was that it stomped you flat, and smashed you into the ground until you couldn't stand back up.

Jaune had offered her a ray of light, but her common sense stood in the way.

She withdrew her hand away from Jaune's, looking steadily at the boy.

"Thank you for the words Jaune. But sometimes…" Cinder sighed heavily, looking older than she had when she walked into the room. "Sometimes the world isn't considerate enough to move aside when you want to change your course." Jaune didn't know who he was dealing with. If he had, he would've reacted differently, would've realized that his encouragement and advice were all for naught.

Words can't change a monster's purpose.

"Options are hard to find when you've already looked long and hard for them. But…" Cinder looked at the boy, whose eyes still burned even when she rejected his words outright. He would keep trying, Cinder realized. He wouldn't stop until Cinder either killed him or she changed, and she knew deep inside that Jaune _could_ change her. She would never notice it, but she _would_ change. Slowly and surely, she would become a different woman, until one day she would chase down her prey to discover herself unable to kill it.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to keep looking." Cinder said, mentally relenting to the boy, knowing the dangers she was facing if she continued to visit the boy. Her hands glowed red, her body knowing that she needed to get rid of the threat that was Jaune before it was too late. It would have been an easy enough task to do. All she needed to do was reach over and light her hands on fire. A civilian wouldn't be able to block the heat, and destroying his throat would mean a slow irreparable death, but also meant that most of the patrons in the bar would be busy trying to keep the boy alive. It would be so easy…

But instead, Cinder reached over past Jaune, grabbing the shot glasses, setting one down in front of herself and the other in front of him. Gesturing for the boy to fill them both up, she pushed one of them into Jaune's hands, raising hers into the sky.

Jaune stared at the drink, as if wondering what to do with it. Cinder wasn't sure if she had to show him how to drink the alcohol in front of him. Before she could say anything though, Jaune gave what seemed to be a mental shrug to himself and raised the glass in the air, tapping the glasses together.

"To change." Jaune said quietly, which Cinder echoed back a second later. The boy lifted the glass towards his lips before he turned and tilted the drink into the sink next to him, causing Cinder to give him a questioning stare. He didn't say anything, just giving her a smile.

Finishing her drink, Cinder asked for her tab, paying for it in lien.

As she walked towards the exit, Cinder had the urge rise inside her again. A voice whispered into her head to turn back and burn the place down, to make sure that nothing could stop her plans from going into motion, even if it meant burning down the last dregs of hope that she could find a way free from… destiny.

She almost did it too, if it wasn't for someone bumping into her as he walked into the bar.

"Oh. Sorry about that." His voice was slightly slurred already, and when she identified who it was, her heart sank. Red eyes stared back at her, squinting slightly as if looking through a haze. "Pardon me lady."

A tight smile appeared on her face as she stepped aside. "No problem at all. Enjoy your stay." Before going around him and leaving.

"O…kay then…?" Qrow said, slightly confused at the encounter, but quickly pushing it out of his mind, waving at Jaune.

Cinder snorted, shaking her head.

Destiny indeed.


	15. Flocking Conspiracies

**A/N: So, winter break's wound down for me, which is great (not really), and that means I'll start updating me other stories soon. School'll be fun, I think, and writing'll be the worst… wait, it's the other way 'round. Hm. Well, hope anyone who has to go to school makes it through alright!**

 **On that note, for once, I tried to make this chapter a little more lighthearted… I think it kinda, sorta worked. Probably. Let me know what y'all think XD**

 **A Stranger without an account: Hahaha, yeah, updating on Sunday isn't a very good example of me updating on Tuesdays, is it? Thank you for the words of encouragement, I really appreciate them ^-^**

 **Guest 2: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed that ^-^**

 **Marshmallow: Bad things happen to Jaune if Cinder doesn't change. Or will they? Shrugs. I guess we'll just have to find out. Hope you enjoy the next chapter ^-^**

 **Guest 3: Thanks!**

 **Guest 4: Hahaha XD many people do. I just wanted to humanize Cinder a little bit.**

 **Guest 5: Wait a second. You think this is a feel good fanfic? Damn, I must be doing something wrong then. XD**

 **Guest 6: Coco's... yeah, a little bit, isn't she?**

 **Guest 7: Hahaha Thanks, glad you enjoyed it ^-^**

 **Axcel: I like that you think that :) I didn't realize that every Arc has died a heroic death. After all, Jaune talks about his dad in the present tense and everything so... Anywho, I appreciate that you're trying to point that out, but... he's not really mad that they didn't accept him because he 'won't be there for others. Nice try though ^-^**

* * *

As a bartender that serves a myriad of different people, Jaune quickly grew accustomed to the strangeness that followed closely behind any Hunter or Huntress that came through his doors. From a someone who can light themselves on fire to another who can teleport and create illusions, Jaune had stopped even paying any mind to any customer who decided to enter the room, flashy entrance or not. Sure some of the semblances are strange and hair raising, but Jaune only gathered more respect when he didn't bat an eye to anyone who tried to impress the room.

So as a dark haired woman stepped through her portal, looking around the room, face covered with a menacing mask, Jaune simply glanced up once and greeted her before going back to cleaning his countertop. Given, the woman didn't care much about the reactions of those around her, striding straight up towards the blonde boy and crossing her arms, frowning at him.

"Hello Miss." Jaune said, straightening up. "Is there anything I can help you with? If there is, can you wait outside? The bar doesn't open for another half hour."

The woman ignored his polite request, simply staring at the boy before saying, "I need to know where Qrow Branwen is right now." It wasn't a question or a request. From the menacing posture that she took to the dark aura she had on her face, Jaune knew that it was a demand that came from her lips. That, along with how the woman was dressed made it hard for Jaune to exactly trust the woman standing in front of him.

"I don't know if you've ever been to a bar before," Jaune said quietly, "but the only times I know where anyone is will be when they're in this room. And as you can see," Jaune swept his hands to the side, gesturing to the empty bar. "There's no one here, let alone your Qrow Branwen."

The woman stood there, unflappable as she continued to press her case.

"I know that he visits here regularly." She stated, as if that would make Jaune tell her anything. In fact, the bartender simply rolled his eyes, leaning against the countertop.

"Great. So does everyone else in Vale, coming from the crappy singing that he does when he's super-drunk."

She made a sound low in her throat, almost growling at Jaune's casual defiance. The hand on her sword tightened as she stared at him. "Do not test me." She warned, "Where is Qrow Branwen? You must have spoken with him enough to know, seeing how often he visits." Jaune sighed at the woman's insistence.

"Look Miss, like I said before, I don't know where he is, and even if I did, I wouldn't be telling you. Anyways, if you know he visits here regularly, why don't you just sit and wait until he comes here? Probably better than threatening me for information I don't know." He said the last part under his breath, before freezing as he heard the sharp rasp as the woman drew her blade, placing the tip against Jaune's neck before he could even blink. Even then, the mask hid what she looked like, the glowing red embedded in the eye sockets the only indication that she was even looking at him.

"Do not test me." She said quietly, letting the blade dip, the skin around Jaune's throat threatening to split against the edge of the sword. This was a woman that was used to getting her way through force and intimidation, Jaune noted, even as his heart decided to go into overtime. Keeping his external demeanor calm was a part of being a bartender though, and when he spoke, it was in a clear and steady voice, eyes looking at her, well, her mask without wavering.

"So you're just going to kill me? An unarmed civilian in a bar that's about to open in half an hour, in the middle of Vale?" Jaune asked, raising an eyebrow. Huntress, hardened criminal, or just plain drunk, most of them would've hesitated at least a second knowing the implications. The good majority probably would have backed off, knowing that killing or even harming the boy standing behind the counter would come with consequences no one really wanted to deal with.

The woman in the mask simply pressed the sword a tad deeper, actually cutting into Jaune's skin at this point, a drop of blood trailing down Jaune's neck.

"It will not have been the first time I've done it." The woman said quietly.

Jaune believed her, and showed that he understood by standing as still as he possibly could, trying not to swallow, or breath too deeply. The blade hovered there for a second longer before she withdrew it, allowing Jaune to take a relieved breath, straightening up off the countertop. He didn't know what to say to the woman who just threatened his life, and judging by her speed and semblance, she probably could cut his head clean off and disappear to who knows where before Jaune could even begin to dial for help.

The woman unceremoniously plopped herself onto the bar stool in front of her, making Jaune jump. Raising her hands, she grabbed her mask and pulled it off, setting it aside, revealing a pale face with deep red eyes. Under the mask, she looked a lot younger than Jaune assumed, except for the depth that was held in her eyes, marking her as an experienced… something. The blonde still wasn't sure if she was a Huntress or something… more. Or less.

Nevertheless, the woman had stopped threatening his life and was sitting in front of him, which made her a customer, no matter how axe-happy she seemed to be.

"Would you like something to drink? We have a great selection of beverages and I could certainly make a drink if you have one in mind—"

"I don't want a drink."

Jaune didn't even pause, jumping to the next topic. "Or if you're feeling a little peckish," _from trying to murder me,_ "we have a few items of choice that are good for filling up the stomach, although I don't recommend them as much as I do to drinks—"

"I don't want food."

"O-okay, well, then maybe I can interest you in a selection of—"

"I don't want it." The woman said before Jaune could even finish. The boy continued to smile while screaming internally, not able to think of anything.

"… Peanuts?" Jaune offered, pointing at the little tray to the side of them.

The pale woman gave him a pointed stare, not even saying anything.

At this point, Jaune gave up, closing his eyes and frowning. "Well, you have to get _something_."

"I don't want anything." The woman repeated stubbornly. Jaune wanted to bash his head against the counter, and was contemplating if he was fast enough to reach over and throttle the woman before she could draw her sword.

"Well, you have to get something," Jaune said stubbornly, crossing his arms. "This is a bar, and we don't allow people to loiter around. It's bad for business." The woman continued to glare at him, eyes sharp as she tried to stare him down. The bartender wasn't willing to back down though, and stared back steadily at her, daring her to go against him.

"… Don't want anything." This time, the woman's response sounded a lot less serious, and a lot more whiny, as if she was a young kid being forced to eat her vegetables. Jaune wasn't having any of that though, and continued on his firm stance, keeping his lips pursed tightly.

"Then you can leave."

The two of them continued their staring contest before the woman sighed, slouching in the stool.

"Fine." The raven-haired woman said grumpily, crossing her arms. "Give me something." Jaune raised an eyebrow, smirking internally at his minor victory.

"What do you want?" He asked. The woman shrugged, not even looking at him anymore.

"Don't care. Just give me something."

Jaune groaned, shaking his head as he turned around, grabbing a mug and filling it up with the cheapest drink he could find, setting it down in front of the woman. He didn't both with the niceties, finding that she didn't bother with them either, thanklessly accepting the drink and pulling in large drafts, finishing the drink, setting it down and simply sat there, looking at a nearby wall without moving.

Jaune stared at the woman, trying to provoke a reaction from her. It was as if she was carved from stone, Jaune thought to himself. Giving up on the woman, he continued to clean up and set the tables, glancing at his watch and finding that he only had five minutes before opening time. Finding nothing else to do, Jaune sidled back towards the counter and crossed his arms, frowning at the woman who still hadn't moved an inch.

"What do you need from Qrow anyways?" Jaune asked. The woman finally budged, moving her eyes to look at the boy. She didn't do anything else though, simply just looking at the boy. The bartender stood there, letting him be examined for Dust knows how long. Time seemed to slow as she looked at him, her eyes piercing through his body.

"I have business with him." Came the simple reply, making Jaune roll his eyes.

"Well that doesn't come to a surprise," Jaune said sarcastically. "But I'd kind of like some warning if you guys start swinging your swords around, you know? Gotta have a good place to duck if that stuff happens." The dark haired woman snorted, a small smile appearing on her face. Jaune smiled as well, glad to see that he wasn't dealing with a complete robot of a person.

"Look, I just want a promise that you won't harm anyone or trash the place while you're here, Miss…" Jaune hesitated, not knowing her name. The woman looked at him with an amused glance, nodding.

"Raven." She answered. "My name is Raven Branwen." Things clicked behind Jaune's mind.

"Oh. Like Qrow… Branwen." The woman nodded. Jaune looked up and down at the woman, a different perspective given to him. Piecing things together, Jaune came to the appropriate conclusion.

"So, you guys married or something?"

"W-" Raven didn't even try to hide her confusion, and the faint disgust that appeared on her face. "What? Of course not! We're twins!" Jaune snapped his fingers, pointing at her, nodding.

"Right. That was my second guess."

"Why would you even— ugh." Raven covered her face, frown marring her face. "That's just disgusting." The bartender couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head.

"Alright, alright. I'm just kidding. Even I can see you guys are related." Jaune said, waving his hand dismissively. Raven settled down for a second, happy that she wasn't being put together with Qrow in that way. Suddenly the woman frowned, going through the boy's words again.

"Wait a second, what do you mean by 'you can tell that we're related'?"

Jaune raised an eyebrow at the woman, who actually looked even more offended than before. He gave her a once over again in his mind, easily bringing up attributes that both the twins had. Aggressive, antisocial, demanding, and didn't know what personal space meant, Jaune thought to himself as he took a step back, giving himself another inch of space between the two of them. Those weren't really flattering things that Jaune could say in front of her though.

"You're uh, you've got the same sense of color scheme?" Jaune suggested, laughing nervously at the hard stare on Raven's face. The expression lasted for another second before her expression morphed into a smug smile.

"Well of course. These are the colors of the Branwen clan after all."

 _Of all the things you can take pride in…_

Any further conversation was interrupted as Jaune's scroll started to vibrate, the alarm to open the bar setting itself off. The bartender tapped the screen once and stuffed the device into his pocket, excusing himself to open the doors of the bar, letting in a few early-risers into the bar, greeting them with a small smile. The next few minutes were a blur as Jaune fell into routine, serving everyone and making sure they were all satisfied and comfortable, spending a minute or two with a few of the lonelier ones before making his way back towards the imposing woman. Raven's eyes constantly flicked from side to side, looking at every person who walked in through the door, tensing slightly every time.

Finally the doors swung open to reveal the grizzled Hunter, striding in without a care in the world, a little grin on his face as he looked at the nervous bartender.

"Jaune! I need one of your drunky shots, stat! I think my sister's coming to visit and I _definitely_ need to be smashed for…"

Raven sat there, waiting patiently for the Hunter to notice her, which he did as his words trailed away, realizing who was sitting next to Jaune. The blonde boy shrugged helplessly, his grin more of a wince than anything else.

"Surprise?"

Qrow stared at the woman in front of him for a little longer before coughing into his sleeve, falling back into his normal demeanor. "Raven! Didn't realize you knew this place. You enjoy one of Jaune's drinks here yet? They're worth the lien, let me tell you." The dark haired man laughed casually, striding a up and falling into a bar stool, leaning against the countertop. Jaune decided that now would be the best time to leave the two to their devices, stepping back to grab his Hunter-effective alcohol, pouring a shot for the Qrow. Placing it on the table, the Hunter didn't even have to look as he grabbed the glass and threw it back, placing it on the coaster and tapping his finger twice, letting Jaune know that he was ready for a refill. The boy raised an eyebrow, surprised that Qrow was asking for another shot so soon. Even the extreme alcoholic Qrow needed to pace these shots, or he'd go absolute drunk within seconds.

The moment Jaune finished refilling the shot, Qrow consumed it again, signaling for another refill. Maybe Qrow _was_ trying to get completely smashed for some reason. The third drink filled, Raven intercepted it, snatching it away before Qrow could grab it. His face was already a rosy red, and he frowned at the woman sitting in front of him, pointing at the drink.

"That's mine." Qrow said shortly, hints of slurring already present in his voice. Raven continued to hold it in the air, a frown on her face.

"I need you to be lucid for this Qrow." Raven gave the drink a curious sniff, wondering what it was. "I'm surprised though, I thought you were more of a heavyweight than this." Qrow eyed her balefully, before focusing his attention back to the more important, still out of reach shot glass in her hands.

"You know exactly how much of a heavyweight I am," Qrow retorted, lunging forwards to grab the glass. Raven leaned back and pretty much punched her brother in the face, sending him reeling backwards. "Ah, you, ugh, that _hurt_ , dammit." He said, holding his nose gingerly. Raven rolled her eyes, swirling the liquor around in a circular motion idly.

"Stop being such a weakling. Your aura's probably already healed that up."

"Doesn't mean it didn't hurt." Came the childish response, Qrow's posture clearly slumped and sulking.

"Stop being so childish," Raven snapped, placing the drink beside her. "This is a matter of great importance."

"Yeah well so is that drink." Qrow replied, hand outstretched to grab the drink again. With a frustrated noise in the back of her throat, Raven grabbed the drink again, drinking it quickly, coughing explosively after she did so.

"Listen, _cough_ , to me! We have to talk about, _cough cough,_ about—" Raven continued to cough, tears in her eyes. "What _is_ that?" Qrow was dying off to the side, clutching his stomach in laughter, wheezing as he struggled to breathe. Jaune was also fighting to make sure he didn't grin, viciously reminding himself that she could remove his head from his body without a second thought. The woman continued to cough, her body trying to reject what she had just tried to ingest.

"It's a drink Raven." Came the breathy reply from Qrow. "I didn't realize you were such a lightweight." He repeated what she said mockingly, still trying to smother his chuckles.

"It's poison." The woman said distastefully, glaring at the glass as if it was its fault for making her do something so embarrassing. Qrow snorted and was finally able to snatch the glass away from her, handing it to Jaune with a hopeful look in his eyes, silently asking for a refill. Jaune nodded, handing the glass back to the man after he had done so.

"It's _good_." Qrow snorted, this time savoring the drink in his hand, letting the flavors fill his mouth as he closed his eyes. Raven looked at her brother in disgust, before turning and demanding what Jaune did to create something so potent. And potent it was, as Jaune was able to notice the faint brush of red that the angry woman sported. The boy offered an innocent smile at her, shrugging.

"Blood of a Beowulf with a strain of aged Death Stalker venom." The lines were delivered flatly, and Qrow almost spit out his drink in surprise. Almost. Instead, he struggled to choke it down, coughing a little as he covered his mouth with his sleeve. Raven reacted by recoiling visibly, her face arranged into a look of absolute horror. Their positions lasted for another second before Jaune let out a snicker, unable to hold it in any longer. Covering his mouth, Jaune turned to the side to stifle his chuckles, making Qrow breathe out in relief, covering his face. Raven simply looked confused.

"I didn't realize you had a sense of humor kid. Especially a bad one." The old Hunter said, grinning at the boy. Jaune shrugged, smiling at him.

"It comes and goes."

"Comes and goes," Qrow muttered in amusement. "Right."

"Wait a second." Raven interrupted their exchange, still slightly bewildered. "That was a joke?" Jaune glanced questioningly at Qrow, who didn't say anything, and nodded, an eyebrow raised. The woman looked down at her lap, before turning to Qrow, then Jaune.

"So… no Beowulf blood?" Jaune shook his head. "No Death Stalker venom?" Again the bartender shook his head. "So there's no Grimm… excretions that go into this drink?"

Jaune hesitated.

"Sure."

"… Ok then." Raven relaxed her shoulders, mollified. Again Qrow didn't react much, simply shaking his head and keeping the grin on his face, finishing the last of his drink and deciding that now would be a good time to get to business.

"Alright there Ravey. What's the deal?" The slur in his voice is much more noticeable now, and his eyelids were half closed, but what parts of the eyes Jaune could see were still _very_ aware. Raven frowned at the use of the nickname and crossed her arms, not hiding the look that she sent to the bartender.

"Maybe we can find a better place to do this at. Somewhere a little more… quiet." The words would've been more subtle if Jaune wasn't standing there, and if Raven hadn't literally gestured at him when saying the sentence. Qrow scoffed, waving a hand.

"What're you talking about? This _is_ the best place to do this. Trust me, no one listens in on a conversation at the bar without getting caught. We'll just, you know," Qrow leaned over and put a hand to his mouth, pantomiming a whisper. "be really, _really_ quiet." He said in a normal voice. His sister didn't seem very amused by his display, her mane of hair bristling like a cat in annoyance.

"Even so. Maybe we shouldn't let civilians hear what we're about to say." Raven said, continuing to press the subject. Again Qrow waved a hand, even more dismissive than before.

"Jaune's level. I trust him." The words were simple, and spoken by a drunken man who didn't care much for social norms, but they brought a proud smile on Jaune's face, humbled to hear a Hunter comfortable confiding with him. Raven though, didn't look so happy.

"Even if it's about the Queen?" She asked quietly. Qrow squinted at her, then back at Jaune, the gears in his mind whirring. Jaune spared him from answering the question, raising his hands.

"Don't worry about it." The bartender said with a smile. "I need to make sure the other customers are okay anyways. I'll come back in a few minutes." Without giving any time for Qrow to object, Jaune slipped past, happily making sure everyone else had their fill.

The process was automatic for Jaune, and left him a lot of thinking space while his body moved automatically. Queen. It was a strange word, and he only knew of it from his past History lessons from before he came to Vale. It was a female ruler, if he remembered correctly. Which didn't make much sense for him, seeing as how Remnant was divided and governed by councils. Remnant hadn't had any type of 'ruler' since the Color Wars, if Jaune wasn't mistaken.

Maybe if he had stuck with going to school instead of filling his head with the unachievable goal of become a Hunter, he would've been able to guess as to why the twins were talking about a Queen. Maybe if Jaune had never tried to go against his parents' wishes and tried to leave for Beacon, he would've never been in this situation to begin with.

And his family might still be alive.

Jaune sighed, frustration building as he faced the ever present shadow in his mind, threatening him silently. He knew sooner or later his mind would turn towards the depression lurking there, and just the thought made his body a little heavier, his heart ache a little more.

 _My baby._

The bartender closed his eyes, ignoring the brief whisper that touched his eyes. This wasn't healthy, Jaune told himself. Stop.

"—not sure _what_ , I just know that it's going to be big." The blonde caught the tail end of their conversation, Raven gesturing urgently as Qrow simply leaned back, his façade of extreme drunkenness put to the side. Sure, his face was still very red, and the slur was poking out, but everything else was tucked neatly away as he processed the information.

"I'll make sure to keep a look out then." Qrow said, before nodding at Jaune. "You done with everyone already? Impressive." The boy gave a weak grin, shrugging.

"Part of the job." Jaune replied.

Raven stood up, her eyes stormy as she placed the mask back onto her face. "Remember what I said Qrow. Watch your back." The man nodded, looking at his sister. A portal ripped itself open beside her, Jaune stopping her before she could step through.

"Wait a second!"

Raven paused, turning back to look at the boy, who coughed in embarrassment.

"You still need to pay for that drink." Jaune said, pointing at the forgotten glass over on the side. Raven's head turned to follow the finger, before turning back to Jaune.

"… He'll pay for it." Raven said, tilting her head at Qrow.

"I am?" Came the incredulous reply, right as the woman stepped through the portal, the tear in reality closing itself up. Qrow gaped at the air in front of him, blinking in confusion.

"I guess I am." He muttered, pulling out his wallet.

Jaune couldn't help but give a helpless chuckle as he accepted the lien, tucking it away into the nearby register.

"You know, I'm not one to pry," Qrow snorted, Jaune ignoring him as he shut the drawer and turned to the man. "But I _am_ slightly curious. What were you guess talking about when you meant Queen? You don't have to tell me anything," Jaune added. "It's just weird that you're talking about rulers—"

"We weren't." Qrow interrupted, confusing Jaune even further.

"What?"

"We weren't talking about rulers." Qrow repeated, a thoughtful look on his face. "We were talking about chess pieces."

"Chess pieces?" Jaune sounded as incredulous as he felt, unable to fathom why anyone would be talking about a board game with such secrecy.

Qrow seemed to make up his mind about something, and his eyes sharpened, piercing into Jaune, making the boy stand up straight in attention.

"Tell me," Qrow said quietly, eyes flicking back and forth once more before continuing. "What's your favorite fairy tale?"


	16. Do no Evil

**A/N: I am sad to say that I will be abandoning all of my works and going off to a monastary to... NAH I'm just kidding, all of my stories should be back on their regular schedules by next week. :3**

 **I am pleased to announce that the more I write about this, the more knowledgeable I get about alcohol and bartending. Who knew there were so many types of glasses for different types of alcohols? On that note, I tried my hand at another cheerful chapter and.. uh. Hm. Well, it's something XD Slightly shorter than the last few, but just as poignant, I'd like to think. Hope y'all enjoy!**

 **Observer: Hahaha XD It would be interesting to see them all together, wouldn't it? :3 Honestly, Amber** _ **might**_ **just be the one character that I can't feasibly put into this story. If I was trying to make the story make sense that is.**

 **Guest 1: Jaune Arc's the type of guy that'll gather up the two player's chess pieces and put them down randomly on the board and go 'I'm playing now'**

 **Guest 2: Asking? Psh, Salem doesn't ask. She takes. :)**

 **Guest 3: Cute Raven is Best Raven**

 **That guy: Yeee, Thanks!**

 **Guest 4: Thanks!**

 **Marshmallow: Yeah, people seem to react a lot to that sentence :P**

 **And uh, no actually. Remember that I published this a few weeks before V.4 even came out. Didn't even realize that I could draw parallels to it. Huh. XD**

 **Guest 5: No. Qrow's just asking 'cause he's curious. XD**

* * *

"Another drink, my good bartender?"

Jaune rolled his eyes as he walked up to the monkey faunus, grabbing the offered lien and procuring his bottle of Vale Light Beer, which the faunus grabbed with both hands, chugging down half the bottle in one go. Neptune sat beside him, face in his hands as he pretended not to know the mischievous boy.

Finishing yet another bottle, the boy slammed the glass onto the counter, making Jaune wince in sympathy for his nice wooden countertop.

"Whoo hoo! Too easy!" Sun exclaimed, grinning at the bartender. "I don't know why people can't just put 'em away like I can. Guess it's just something in my blood." The boy brushed some imaginary dust off of his clothing, looking way too cocky.

"It's probably because most people don't choose to drink tap water to try and get drunk." Jaune replied, twitching an eyebrow upwards as Sun paused in his celebration.

"Wait, what?"

Jaune sighed and tapped at the twelve empty beer bottles laying next to them, directing Sun's confused look towards them.

" _Well_ , this type of beer barely has a 3% alcoholic content. I'm pretty sure _anyone_ could tuck away a few of these without worrying about getting drunk. It also doesn't help that someone with an Aura, like you two," Jaune said, gesturing to the pair of friends, "your Aura can probably work to diffuse the alcohol that these beers are giving to you faster than you can drink them."

Sun sat there for a moment, before turning to look behind him, finding either people who were silently laughing at him or looking annoyed at how loud he was being. The faunus slid a little lower into his seat, face turning a little red.

"Oh."

"Yeah," Jaune said, a grin tugging at his lips as he looked at the abashed boy. "Oh." Neptune sent a silent thank you to the bartender, glad that he was able to calm his partner down so quickly. It didn't last long though, as Sun surged back up, fire in his eyes, ready to redeem himself.

"Alright then. Give me something stronger. No. The strongest thing you've got for me!" Sun slammed his hands on the table, smiling with a fire burning in his eyes. "Lay it on me!"

Jaune winced again, whimpering at the thought of having to Hunter-proof his countertop _again_ after closing time. Jaune could remember how long that took last time. With a sigh, Jaune shook his head, doubt evident on his face.

"You sure about that? I've got some pretty strong stuff, and moving from kiddie beer to this stuff might be a little... much." Sun flushed at the mention of 'kiddie beer' and nodded vigorously, eager to prove himself. Jaune shrugged, secretly glad that he got to serve something stronger. Hopefully it would put the rowdy boy into submission a little sooner.

As Jaune moved away to grab something a tad bit stronger, his mind decided that now would be a good time to wander, thinking back to the other night.

 _Now listen here kid, there are something things in the world that you would never believe are true, hidden in plain sight. Fairy tales are a good example. Have you ever heard of the four maidens?_

Jaune shivered as he recalled the conversation that he and Qrow had, revealing secrets that honestly, Jaune should have never known in the first place. It was true what they said, Jaune supposed, that ignorance was bliss.

 _If anyone got their hands on the Maidens..._

Again Jaune shivered, trying to cast the thought out of his mind. He already had enough trouble sleeping without booze inside of him, he didn't need something else to keep him up at night. With his bottle of Hunter's liquor in hand, Jaune poured out about a third of a shot's worth of liquid, handing the glass to Sun before saying, "Sip this slowly." Making sure that the boy nodded before letting go of the shot glass.

Sun looked confused, his eyes expressing the doubt that so little of the drink would affect him in any way. Shrugging to himself, Sun sipped about half of it under Jaune's watchful gaze before his eyes bulged wide, his body shaking as he struggled to keep his drink down. Placing the glass down gingerly, Sun turned to the side, coughing into his fist, eyes watering.

"Wow," He said hoarsely. "That is... that is something, let me tell you." Sun bent over, coughs wracking his body. Neptune sat beside him with a smile on his face, struggling not to laugh at the display. When Sun was finally able to gasp another breath of air, Jaune handed him a glass of water, which the monkey faunus downed quickly, before coughing again and spitting some of the water on Jaune. "Dust, sorry about that!" Sun said, hacking up a lung.

Jaune sighed and grabbed his washcloth, dabbing himself. Oh well. It _was_ technically his fault for serving the drink anyways. After a few more moments of struggling with the cough, Sun excused himself towards the bathroom, blushing bright red when some of the patrons there couldn't help but laugh at his helpless display.

"…Sorry about that." Jaune said to Neptune, feeling a little guilty. The blue-haired boy waved his hand dismissively, a smile on his face.

"Nah, that's nothing. Sun needs something to humble him every once in a while or he just gets _unbearable_." Jaune laughed at that, nodding to himself. Neptune was a lot more reserved, at least with his drinking habits, than Sun was, and had steadily tucked away a few more refined beers, going on his seventh one now. Jaune could see him glancing at the drink Sun had abandoned, his eyes showing how curious, and slightly fearful, he was with the drink.

"You know, I don't think Sun would care if you tried it out a little…" Jaune pushed the glass towards Neptune's side of the table with his gloved finger. The Hunter looked up at the bartender, his brief indecision quickly disappearing as he lifted the glass up and took a much more moderate sip compared to Sun's. The boy took it a lot better than his partner did, only flushing a little and coughing once, very lightly into his palm.

"Sun's right," As little of a sip as that was, Jaune could still hear the faint hoarseness in the back of Neptune's throat, a sign of someone not used to strong drinks. "That _is_ a wow drink. Do you give that to people to try and knock them out or something?" Jaune chuckled and shrugged, taking the glass back and putting it below the counter, out of anyone else's line of sight before they fell casualty to the last bit still resting inside the cup.

"Only when they get too rowdy."

Neptune nodded, knowing exactly how his partner had been behaving. "Pretty smart thing to have with you then. Especially when you're serving so many of… us." Hunters, he meant.

"It's one of my better ideas." Jaune agreed, a smile on his face as the bathroom doors swung open, revealing the monkey faunus, who had seemed to recover enough that he had stopped uncontrollably coughing, now only bright red in the face. As he made his way back to his seat, his eyes glanced around the table to look for the drink of the devil, appearing visibly relieved when he couldn't find it anywhere.

"Man, there's no way anyone can actually take that drink. You carry it around just to see those kind of reactions, don't you?" Sun said accusingly. He didn't sound very angry, but was probably trying to salvage some of his 'manliness', blustering and showing the room that he wasn't some… milk-drinker. Not that there was anything wrong with that.

Jaune gave an almost lazy smile, chin resting on one of his hands. "Actually, there are several people who come here just for this drink. You know Team RWBY?"

Neptune nodded. "Yeah, met them a few days ago. They threw like, the craziest food fight I've seen in a long time." Sun jumped up, a smile on his face as he put his two lien in.

"And I fought with one of them too! Blake? You know, cat faunus with the black hair, average height, moody, and has a problem with the White Fang?" He asked excitedly. Jaune raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, an amused smile appearing on his face.

"Didn't realize Blake was alright with people knowing she's a faunus." He said idly, making Sun pale in realization that he had just revealed something that was supposed to be a pretty big secret. Well, for most people anyway. Jaune had noticed the seemingly animate bow on Blake's head since the first time she visited him.

"I-I meant, that she… has really good reflexes! Almost like a… a cat… faunus—Look man, keep it a secret alright?" Sun was practically on his knees, eyes wide and pleading. "I'm trying to get on her good side and I'm pretty sure this won't help."

Jaune looked at the boy begging in front of him, and something mischievous rose in the bartender's chest. Nodding solemnly, Jaune kept his face somber.

"You're right. That won't help at all." Jaune said seriously. There was an audible sigh that came from the blonde boy before he turned around. "Such a shame. Such a shame."

"W-what's a shame?" Sun said nervously, eyes flickering back and forth in nervousness. Jaune kept his back turned, hiding the smirk on his face. Continuing on as casually as he could, Jaune shrugged, fingers trailing against the rims of some of his drying glasses.

"Well, I mean, I'm sure Blake would just feel absolutely betrayed when she finds out that you exposed one of her greatest secrets. And you know, I'm quite forgetful myself. It's only a matter of time before I let it slip that you told me. Such a shame." Jaune repeated, giggling maniacally to himself. "And I'm sure you guys would've looked _so_ good together too."

Sun whimpered a little 'no' quietly before deciding to prostrate on the ground, hands clapped together. There weren't any comprehensible words coming out of his mouth, but it was enough to break Jaune's composure, the bartender bent over with hysterical laughter. The monkey faunus raised his head up in confusion, looking at the laughing boy before realization dawned on his face, a huge blush appearing. Covering his face, Sun didn't say anything, letting Jaune laugh and laugh and laugh, while Neptune just pat Sun's back in sympathy.

Sun wasn't sure which one was worse.

"Alright, I get it!" He finally said, throwing up his hands. "You got me! Now, can you stop behaving like a five year old for a second?" Jaune struggled to keep his laughter under control, giggles breaking out every time he remembered Sun almost lying on the ground.

"Sorry, sorry. Couldn't help it." Jaune said in between chuckles. Sun, embarrassed as he was, looked a little hopeful.

"So you're not going to tell Blake then?"

"I already know." The bartender replied, waving a hand dismissively, another laugh slipping out as he saw Sun's betrayed face. "But don't worry, I'll make sure I won't tell her that you let it slip out." The monkey faunus slid a little lower in his seat, relief visible on his face.

Things started to calm down a little more as everything started to fall back to normal, Sun requesting, politely this time, for another bottle of beer. Jaune grabbed one and popped the cap, handing it to Sun, who looked at the unfamiliar bottle with raised eyebrows.

"Try this one instead of the water you were having a while ago. Drink it slowly. I think you'll enjoy it, and it'll be a good step up from the light beer you had a while ago. Don't worry, it's nowhere near as strong as the shot I gave you." Jaune reassured, smiling at Sun, who muttered something about 'the Grimm's Drink' and tilting the bottle towards his lips.

A second passed by before Sun nodded, a big grin on his face as he drank again.

"This isn't so bad, man!"

Jaune just nodded his head, puffing out his chest as he once again found the right drink for the right person. With all the shenanigans aside, the bartender relaxed and slipped into chat mode, asking the two Hunters-in-training where they were from.

"Haven Academy," Neptune answered, "We came over for the tournament." Jaune nodded, knowing all about the tournament from his other patrons, what with the girls talking excitedly about it to Professor Goodwitch moaning about how much work had to be put in to make sure everything, well, worked.

"Came a little early, didn't you?"

Neptune pointed at his partner, who scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"This guy decided that he couldn't wait, and snuck into a ship to get here."

"Snuck into a ship?" Jaune repeated, raising an eyebrow at the faunus before shaking his head. "Knew I had to keep a close eye on you."

"'Cause I'm a faunus?" Sun challenged, surging up suddenly, before being put back down at the unperturbed expression on Jaune's face, a solitary eyebrow hovering.

"Because you nearly broke the hinges off the door frame when you came in." Jaune said dryly, making Sun wince and turn, looking to see the damage he caused.

"Don't bother," The bartender sighed. "I already reinforced the doors against Hunters when… someone decided she _really_ needed that Sunrise." Moving on before the two could question him, Jaune asked, "So what brought you guys here? Closest place to the harbor? Do I have to report Sun to the nearest station?" The faunus snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Cops." He didn't say anything else, his tone making it apparent what he thought about them. Neptune, as always, decided to answer for the two of them.

"After Sun, uh, helped Blake out with a… problem, Team RWBY suggested this place for him to wind down. He waited for me to get here before coming though."

"'Cause we're bros." Sun grinned, knuckle bumping his partner. Jaune smiled wistfully at the display, his heart panging silently when he tried to imagine himself doing that to a friend. There weren't any, so his next question came quickly.

"So how do you like it here?"

"Vale or Beacon?" Sun asked, sipping his drink after the question. Jaune shrugged, not caring which question was answered, just wanting to know an answer. Sun leaned back, thoughtful look on his face.

"Vale's alright. Lots more cops than back in Mistral, but whatever. The people here're nice."

"Beacon," Neptune added in, "is… impressive. I mean, Haven is better," obviously, Sun added in, "but it's cool. And the, ahem, students are cool too." Neptune said, his smile showing a bit of teeth. Jaune put two and two together and leaned forward.

"Weiss?"

Neptune's face flushed a bit as he coughed into his hand. "W-what about her?" He asked, trying to play it off as casually as he possibly could. Jaune exhaled a breath in amusement, looking as innocent as possible. Jaune thought about it for a second before snapping his fingers.

"That's right, isn't the dance coming up sometime soon?" The more Jaune spoke, the redder Neptune seemed to get, fidgeting uncomfortably around in his chair. The bartender looked at the boy, thinking quietly to himself. The two partners seemed like they were very... comfortable around women. Not sure if that was really a good thing, Jaune thought to himself. For a second he felt a surge of protectiveness, wanting to warn Neptune about hurting Weiss...

But that's really none of his business, was it?

"Anyways," Neptune said, moving onto another subject as speedily as possible. "It's kind of cool to see someone younger do all the bartending at a bar and, you know, be good at it." Jaune nodded in thanks to what he assumed was a compliment. "How old are you man? You can't be much older than us. Twenty? Twenty one?"

"Seventeen." Jaune replied, the two guys in front of him jerking back slightly in surprise. He laughed at that and nodded, "Yeah, I know. Pretty young."

"Pretty young? You're our age!" Sun turned to Neptune, asking, "Can you imagine us trying to serve beers to people? Ugh, we'd be so fired." The blue-haired boy nodded in agreement, curiosity in his eyes.

"How'd you get to working here?" Neptune asked. "I mean, you couldn't have gotten this job the normal way… right?" Jaune shook his head.

"I… needed a job." He said. "I met the owner and he gave me the job." There was a lot he wasn't saying, but even boys like Sun and Neptune could tell there were some painful things that he was trying to tuck away.

"Must've been hard." Sun said quietly, glancing at Neptune, who nodded in agreement. Jaune felt uncomfortable at the display and tried to play it off, a smile plastered on his face.

"Things got better." The bartender said vaguely. "Refill?" The partners nodded, allowing Jaune to walk away to grab two new bottles. When he placed the bottles down, Sun decided to speak up.

"What's your favorite drink Jaune?"

Blue eyes blinked rapidly in confusion. " _My_ favorite drink?" That wasn't a question that he got asked a lot. Not many people cared, as long as he knew what _their_ favorite drink was.

Sun nodded, his expression showing nothing as he did so. "Favorite drink." Jaune turned to look at Neptune, who had the same kind of look on his face, before he turned back to the other boy.

"Whiskey." Jaune said simply.

Sun nodded, before tapping his fingers on his chin, snapping his fingers as he smiled devilishly. "Can you get me one of those?" He asked.

"Get you a… whiskey?"

"Yeah. In a glass, or however you serve them."

"O… kay." Jaune said uncertainly, kneeling down to grab his favorite brand of whiskey and poured some into a glass, making it the way he liked it. Pushing it forwards, he was surprised to find the glass pushed right back towards him, the grin on both of their faces growing wider. Raising their glasses, they looked at Jaune, who had a blank look on his face.

"Drink with us." They said, urging him to do so. "Come on. Think of it as an apology for bringing up bad memories." Jaune didn't say anything, nor did he do anything, only staring at the drink in front of him, which still had ripples in it as the liquid tried to settle into the tumbler. The Hunters-in-training saw his indecision and misread it, assuming that he wasn't taking it because he was on the job.

"Don't worry, we won't tell." Sun said brightly. "Come on man. Sometimes it's good to have a drink. What's the harm?"

What's the harm?

Jaune's fingers twitched, and his head started to hurt. After a whole two weeks of not having anything, after two weeks of working to the bone, of trying to rid his mind of the demons… he realized something.

He was moretired than he ever expected.

"You okay there man?" Neptune asked, concern visible on his face. Jaune's head snapped up, eyes wide for a second before he was able to collect himself, a polite smile on his face. What's the harm?

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about… about the past." Jaune said quietly. What's the harm?

"I'm telling you, this'll help! Come on man, no need to be shy around us!" Sun nearly shouted, his boisterous demeanor pushing its way through to Jaune. The bartender's will seemed to wilt away at that point, his hand already gripping the glass, the caster that contained his relief calling out to him.

 _Don't do it…_

The voice whispering to him was the last straw that helped him make up his mind, and Jaune smiled tightly, lifting the glass up to the air and touching it with the bottles.

"To the future." Sun said, probably thinking the phrase sounded cool or something. Jaune and Neptune repeated the phrase anyways, the bartender a little more hollowly than the other two, and they all threw their drinks back, letting the alcohol flow through them.

Bartender included.

 _What's the harm?_

Jaune continued to sit on those words, contemplating them all while relaxing and smiling again, happy to be in the company of the other two. His mind and body seemed a little less coiled, and Jaune reveled in that feeling, so much that he didn't even hesitate when the pair told him to pour another glass for himself.

It was good, and in that moment, Jaune couldn't think of a reason why he tried to quit drinking. It felt good. It felt free. It felt _right_.

There were some people who would disapprove, but the one that kept whispering in his ear had stopped after Jaune downed the first glass, and that was already a plus one for the drinking side of things.

He should thank Sun and Neptune actually, and Jaune was pretty sure he did, between laughter and conversation. The two of them looked proud actually, for helping him with his problem, and actually tipped nicely when they decided that it was time to leave. Jaune was even able to get a fist bump from the two of them, which was wicked awesome.

There's wasn't a problem with drinking, Jaune concluded, deciding that there wasn't any harm taking a bottle of whiskey home with him after closing time.

And when he popped the top off of the bottle upended the contents into his mouth, those were the last words on his mind as he drifted off into a blissful sleep.

 _What's the harm?_


	17. Abandonment Issues

**A/N: I don't know why, but soul patch makes me giggle just a little whenever I think of the word. So, uh, yeah, not using** _ **that**_ **in this chapter. Gods, I got so sick over the weekends and now I still feel like urgh and just. Ugh. Whatever. On that note, my other two stories have been delayed to next week. Hope y'all don't mind too much. Other than that though, I'm not too unhappy about how things are going. Hope y'all enjoy XD**

 **Oh! BTW, my guesties and anonymous reviews, while I** _ **very**_ **much appreciate your feedback, replying to y'all is… tiresome. And as the reviews grow (which I'm super happy about don't get me wrong) I spend more and more space on just replying to you guys. Which makes my A/N's pretty long. This one pretty much took a whole page. No one wants that. Try and make an effort to make an account! It's free!**

 **Guest 1: Well, not really. I** _ **meant**_ **for it to be happy, it just... didn't. XD**

 **Guest 2: Sigh. Neptune and his dumbass. XD**

 **Bring sex back 242: Hahaha XD Thanks!**

 **That guy: Oh boy indeed. And did you just review three times to me? Thanks XD Maybe make an account and PM instead next time?**

 **Stuka: Uh... huh. Okay then. XD**

 **guest: :)**

 **End Bringer: Yeah, it's weird, isn't it?**

 **A stranger without an account: Surprise! Not all that angsty! Yet.**

 **Thekingofthegods: I have many things I'd like to point out! One!**

 **Who said I wasn't going to be addressing the issue of aura? Patience my dear friend, that topic will be broached… eventually. And as I've said to many already, there's something I need to show to you guys. ALCOHOLISM ISN'T EASY. Sure, he has support, and wants to get over it, but Jaune is stubborn, and has a hard time accepting help from other people. Last chapter is something to show y'all that one simple talk with Professor Goodwitch isn't going to be enough for Jaune.**

 **And who says this is a secondary plotline? Who says this isn't tied into "my family is dead and nobody knows"? Who says I'm not pulling things out of my ass and turning it into plot? Again, patience mate, I do have something planned out. :)**

 **Jaune is strong. But he is very, very human, and makes mistakes because of that. Don't worry, I'm sure fighting Jaune'll come out sooner or later. Thanks for the review though!**

* * *

That night he dreamt of his family.

It wasn't a wish fulfillment type of thing and there weren't any happy vibes to go along with it. It was just… his family. Nicholas and Violetta, his father and mother, standing in front of him, their arms wrapped around his seven sisters. They didn't do anything. They didn't move, they didn't talk, they just… smiled. There were no words exchanged, but as he felt himself waking up, he could feel the message that was being sent from his parents.

 _We're proud of you Jaune._

He woke up when a finger tapped his shoulder, making him blink blearily as he squinted to see who would be in his bedroom at this time. For a second he thought that he was still dreaming when he noticed that the person standing in front of him was blonde. Words choked him for a second, and his mind went back to the days he spent sleeping in, his dad having to wake him up with a gentle shake.

Then he realized that it was a complete stranger waking him up, and that he wasn't at home, it wasn't nighttime, and he wasn't in his bed.

As he took in that information, the hangover that he had been nursing since the morning came back, making him wince at the pain. Straightening himself up, he smiled at the blonde man.

"I didn't realize I was walking in on nap time." A smile on the blonde man's face as he said the words. Jaune chuckled sheepishly and apologized.

"Sorry. It's been… pretty slow today, what with it being the Beacon dance and all." The bartender explained, getting a sympathetic nod from the man. "Nice to meet you, by the way. I'm Jaune, the bartender." He held out a hand, waiting for the man to take it, which the blonde man did.

"Taiyang. A pleasure."

An eyebrow raised in realization at who had just introduced himself to Jaune. "You're Yang's dad." Taiyang laughed and bowed grandly.

"The very same. What gave it away? The same dashing good looks? The blonde hair? The fountain of flowing charisma?"

Jaune raised an eyebrow at the man, feeling his amusement rising in him. "Your bad sense of humor." Taiyang stopped talking, mouth open as he froze for a second, before slumping down into a defeated pose, crossing his arms.

"I'm pretty sure my sense of humor is amazing."

"Your daughter would say the same thing," Jaune said dryly. "That doesn't really change anyone's opinion." A man of that age should not have been able to pout so effectively. Guess Ruby had to get that from somewhere, didn't she?

"Well, sorry if you don't have the _right_ sense of humor then." Taiyang said, his nose pointing upwards.

"I'm pretty sure humor is subjective." Jaune replied back, not sure what to make of the man in front of him. On one hand, he had the aura of a Hunter. On the other hand... he was the father of Ruby and Yang, and that made it real difficult for Jaune _not_ to think of how similar the father and the children acted. Said father rolled his eyes, pointing to himself.

"And I'm pretty sure I'm subjectively awesome." Taiyang said with a grin. Jaune nodded doubtfully, crossing his arms.

"Uh huh." Taiyang and Jaune continued to trade snippets of sarcasm and attempted humor before the man settled down, ready to order a drink.

"So, what'll you have?" Jaune asked, a little bit of excitement coursing through his body. He was always a little excited to make new drinks for new customers, and it was always fun to watch their reactions to his creations. Taiyang tapped his chin, a thoughtful look on his face. Finally he leaned back, shrugging.

"Surprise me." He said, his hands placed on the back of his head. Jaune felt a brief flare of disappointment, but his excitement rose quickly to replace it, glad to be given a chance to try something new.

"Alright then, but don't blame me if you hate it." Jaune warned, causing the man to laugh and wave his hands dismissively.

"From what I hear, I'm sure that won't be a problem."

Jaune frowned, not sure if that was actually a compliment or not, but decided it didn't matter, crouching down to shuffle through some of his drinks, his mind cataloguing his stock to see which drink would suit the customer in front of him the best.

"So, Yang's dad," Jaune said, pulling out a bottle of sherry, before shaking his head and putting it back. "What brings you here instead of to Beacon? I don't mean to intrude of course, I was just wondering." _Wondering why a father wasn't going to visit his daughters,_ Jaune thought to himself. The blonde Hunter laughed, a hint of sheepishness creeping into his tone.

"That's a fair question, I guess." Taiyang admitted. "And there's a lot of reasons why I'm not. For one, that's a student dance." The man shrugged, fingers twirling. "I'm pretty sure neither of my kids want to see their dad embarrass them in front of their friends." Jaune's fingers twitched at the words, nearly dropping an inexpensive bottle of vermouth, his heart jumping into his throat as he fumbled with the drink, sighing in relief as he was able to prevent it from shattering on the ground. The bartender ignored his customer's amused chortles and made sure the bottle was put back in place, safe from his clumsy fingers.

"I think I'd be pretty happy seeing my parents before the dance." Jaune mumbled to himself. No he wouldn't. He remembered the last dance he went to back when he was attending a regular school, blushing and insisting that he didn't need his dad's help tying a tie or his mother's help combing his hair. The two of them did it anyways, which Jaune thanked them for now, sure that he would've looked like a mess at that dance.

He could almost feel the ghostly touch on his hair, the tie on his neck briefly tightening up the way it's supposed to be.

 _Remember Jaune, we're here to help you through life, whether you like it or not._

A hand shot out and grabbed a half empty bottle of cheap whiskey, placing it on the table. Taiyang read the label, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know what to tell you, but I'm not really a huge fan of whiskey."

Jaune nodded, laughing. "Right, sorry." The bartender pushed the bottle to the side but didn't put it away before going back to finding a suitable drink for the dad in front of him. He continued his search, crouching low to find a better bottle of cognac and take the time to try and hide his feelings of frustration. He needed to stop. hearing. voices. He was getting real tired of them at this point, and the fact that he hadn't had a drink since last night meant that the voices were getting too loud to ignore.

 _Stop hurting yourself Jaune_.

The boy jumped up as he felt phantom arms wrap around him, as if trying to hug him, and he banged his head against the top of the bar counter, eliciting a curse from his mouth.

"Oh Dust, are you alright down there?" Taiyang stood up from out of his chair, peering over the counter to see if everything was fine.

"Yeah, I'm good." Jaune said shakily, blinking away tears of pain. "Thanks for asking." He pulled away, dusting his vest a little before standing up completely, still empty handed.

"You know, I wanted a good drink, but if you have to kill yourself to make it, I'll be fine with something crap." Taiyang said, voice filled with humor. Jaune chuckled along, trying not to sound too hollow.

"Er, yeah, sorry. Just got a little lost in thought there." Jaune said, excusing himself to continue to look for that ever elusive drink. The bar fell silent as Jaune continued searching, Taiyang helping himself to the bar peanuts, before realizing they were bar peanuts, and put them back. The blonde Hunter sat there, his eyes tracing Jaune's movement as the boy went through his stock.

"Where's your family, son?"

Jaune froze at the question, fingers brushing past a bottle of gin that was probably worth more than his rent. Forcing himself into a feeling of calm, Jaune asked, "Why?"

Taiyang chuckled, the sound feeling more insidious to Jaune than it should've. "Just a curious question. I mean, you know quite a bit about my family, so I was just curious."

The boy stood there, body still frozen. Forcing himself to calm down, Jaune took a steadying breath, closing his eyes briefly. "They're… not around anymore." It had been a while since he had to explain that to someone, most of his customers knowing at least that much by now. Turning to face the man in front of him, Jaune forced a smile, shrugging. "They died in a Grimm attack. I was the only one that survived."

Jaune could only describe the look on Taiyang's face as…

Conflicting, to say the least.

There was the ever present pity that showed up on everyone's faces when Jaune described what had happened to his family. It was a little tiresome to see all the time, but he was used to it. There was the feeling of understanding that emanated from most of the older Hunters and Huntresses, knowing the feeling of loss. But there was another emotion, a faintly familiar, that he never saw anyone else express when he talked about his own parents. Anger.

There was true, palatable anger in Taiyang's eyes, as if Grimm had just torn through his family right then and there in front of him. It was stifling, enough to make Jaune take a step back in surprise before Taiyang noticed. And just like that, it was over, the man's anger dimming down, hands, raised and clasped together to obscure the frown on his face.

"I'm sorry about your family." Taiyang said quietly. Jaune stood there, not saying a word as he processed what had just happened. Jaune's mind wrapped around the anger that Taiyang had, and slowly, steadily pieced it together. It wasn't a surprise that Taiyang's rage reminded Jaune of something familiar. After all, Jaune saw the same expression in the mirror every time he thought about the night his family died.

"You've lost some people too." Jaune said quietly, knowing those words were true. It wasn't only the look that gave it away, Jaune remembering the stories that Yang and Ruby told him, about their mothers and what had happened with them. Taiyang sighed, brushing his hair away from his eyes. It didn't take much longer for Jaune to find the right drink for him.

Popping the cork off of the bottle, Jaune sniffed it, nodding to himself before pouring it into the glass, pausing for just a second to ask if the man wanted ice or not.

"No ice." Taiyang said quietly, his expressions morphing back to normal as time went by. Jaune nodded and continued to pour, serving the glass up quietly, letting the man take it from his hands and drink it, savoring the tastes. The blonde Hunter's shoulders slowly lowered themselves, the drink's tastes diffusing through his taste buds at first, with the promise of a good buzz coming after. There wasn't going to be a buzz of course, due to Taiyang's aura, but Aura didn't eliminate the feel good moment when the alcohol loosened you up for just a second. And that was all the man really needed.

"How do you deal with it?" Jaune asked. Taiyang looked up at him, expression unchanging as he continued to sip the drink. "How do you deal with… with the anger?" Just saying that word made his stomach roil, his fists tighten. The man noticed, mainly from the fact that the bartender was visibly shaking.

"You don't."

Jaune looked up in surprise at Taiyang, who had a serious look on his face. He wasn't joking. The man held his look for a little longer before sighing, almost slumping down into his stool. Shaking his head, Taiyang sipped his drink, closing his eyes.

"Anger is hard to control." The man laughed softly. "Trust me, I had a daughter who was pretty much the definition of anger." Jaune nodded, having seen Yang angry a little more often than he would've liked. "Controlling your anger—heck, controlling your emotions in general…" Taiyang shook his head. "It usually doesn't end well."

Jaune didn't understand, and it was evident that he didn't understand. The Hunter could see the confusion on his face as well, and tried to rephrase what he was trying to convey to the boy.

"Hiding your hurt isn't going to do anything but make things worse." The man whispered, making Jaune wince.

"I'm not—"

"—Trying to hide anything?" Taiyang interrupted, raising an eyebrow at the boy. Jaune flushed, closing his mouth. "Yes you are. Everyone hides their pain to a certain extent. And it's pretty obvious that you're trying to hide a lot of it. I wouldn't be surprised, seeing as how your whole family's gone. I don't think I know anyone who would be 'fine' after that."

Jaune stayed silent, his eyes tracing the grain of his bar counter. Taiyang took this time to finish his drink, as well as think carefully about his words.

"Death… changes people. I think we can agree with that." Jaune nodded, the motion incredibly jerky. "And usually it takes a while for that change to really be a benefit."

"So what am I supposed to do then?" Jaune finally spoke, his voice anguished. "Am I just supposed to lie there and let my emotions kick me around?"

"You aren't listening to me." Taiyang interrupted, one of his hands touching Juane's forearm to stop him from talking. "I'm not telling you to just roll over and let it happen." Taiyang's eyes flashed, taking Jaune by surprise. "I'm telling you to show the world your anger. Don't let it kick you around."

"W-what're you saying?" Jaune stammered, still unsure of the advice that was being given to him.

"I'm saying," Taiyang said slowly, "is that you need to fight back. Hard." Taiyang's hand gripped Jaune's forearm, shaking him a little bit. "Don't let life put you down. The longer you're on the ground, the more opportunities life has to fuck you over even more." Jaune blinked, startled at Taiyang's harsh language. The man seemed to catch himself, releasing the bartender's arm and sliding back into his seat, sighing.

"When I… _lost_ … my first wife," Taiyang said, seemingly gritting out the word lost. "I was pretty devastated. I kind of fell into this slump, and every day felt… well, pretty crappy." The man shrugged, eyes pointed towards the ceiling. "I moved on with life, but there wasn't much to move on with. Until Summer, my second wife, decided to put the foot down." The Hunter exhaled in amusement, looking at Jaune. "She pretty much cornered me and got really mad at me, telling me that I wasn't 'living' and that I was putting on a bad example for Yang." The man stroked his chin.

"She snapped me out of it pretty good." The was a small smirk, and Jaune didn't have to ask to know what that meant. Or even if he _had_ to really know what that meant. Ew. "She helped me out a lot, Yang helped me out a lot, and when Ruby was born… well, I was way too busy to be moping around by then."

"So have your… uh, friends help you out." Juane stated simply, looking at the man. That wasn't really advice that he hadn't heard before. The man made a face and gestured with his hand, telling the bartender that wasn't exactly it.

"You're getting there. But I know that sometimes you'd prefer not to have help at all. And that's fine. Sometimes." Taiyang added as an afterthought. "But you should keep your friends in mind. Don't get better because they tell you to, that's not gonna happen no matter how hard you try. No," The man shook his head slightly. "Get better because you _want_ to. _For_ them."

Jaune stood there.

"No, I think I'm still confused."

"Right." Taiyang said, muttering something about how having kids should've made him better at this. "I'm sure if you're anything like how my kids have described you to be, you're not the type of person to abandon a friend in need."

"I'm… not." Jaune said uncertainly, unsure of where Taiyang was going with this. The man nodded, waiting a half second.

"So when people are hurt around you, how does that make you feel?"

"…Bad?" Jaune said questioningly. Taiyang nodded, making Jaune sigh in relief, wondering if there was going to be a quiz afterwards about this or something.

"Bad. Right. Now, imagine that you've found someone you want to help, but always hides stuff from you because they think they can brave through it alone. You don't want to be overbearing, but you don't want to see them get hurt either." Taiyang held out his hands, shrugging. "What do you do then?"

Jaune opened his mouth, before thinking about what the father was asking. You wanted to help… but couldn't, because you didn't know everything. You wouldn't know if what you did would help or hurt, and you wouldn't even know if they really wanted or _needed_ the help. Jaune knew exactly how he'd feel.

"That's… a hard question." Jaune admitted, looking back the man. Taiyang had a triumphant look in his eyes as he nodded.

"Exactly. Frustrating isn't it?" The bartender nodded.

"So why put all of your friends through the same thing?"

…

Oh.

Jaune thought back to when he talked with his friends, the frustrated looks on their faces when he laughed away their serious questions, waved off their concerns. The looks they gave him when he purposeful gave a vague answer wasn't hurt, or anger.

It was disappointment.

"Oh." Jaune said quietly, looking at his gloved hands.

"Yeah." Taiyang again touched Jaune's arm, quietly asking the bartender to look at him. "I'm not saying that you have to force yourself to change for your friends. I'm just saying… maybe give them more of a chance. That maybe they're smart enough to know not to pry any further. Especially if your trust them enough to give out that information freely."

Jaune didn't say anything, mulling over Taiyang's words of advice. Why couldn't he trust his friends? They had already proven that they cared about him. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to… maybe…

"Just think about it, alright?"

Jaune nodded, still not saying a word.

He still had a question though.

"What happens," Jaune spoke up. "what happens when that isn't enough? How did you deal with… Summer?"

The man paused, looking at Jaune.

"I got mad." The man straightened up, looking at Jaune. "I got furious. My first wife left me, now my second wife dies on me? How dare the world do this?" Jaune jumped along with the table as Taiyang slammed his fists onto the countertop. "It made me… _so angry_ … when that happened."

Jaune nodded, understanding. He knew this feeling. He felt it time and time again as he thought about how unfair the world was, taking away everyone that he loved in one fell swoop.

"I'll admit, sometimes friends can only do so much." Taiyang said slowly. "Sometimes not even knowing that you still have a family can bring you back from that edge." The man sighed. "How did I deal with the loss of Summer? I raged. I got mad and I went out to take revenge on the world."

Taiyang traced the rim of his empty glass, a faraway look in his eyes. "That night, Patch didn't have a Grimm problem anymore." His gaze slid upwards, looking into Jaune's eyes. "Sometimes it still doesn't."

"So you literally fought back." Jaune whispered, looking at the blonde man.

"I'll admit it wasn't the best idea in the world. I could've died. Left behind two kids without either parent. That didn't really get through in my mind until Yang took Ruby and… made a mistake. That woke me up real quick. I'm not saying it was the right thing to do," Taiyang said hastily. "But for a quick way to get rid of that tension, if only for a little while… fighting isn't a bad way to go."

Jaune nodded. Something that he could get behind. A faint tinkle of ice on glass reminded Jaune of the glass that Taiyang had emptied, and he went to refill the glass. Before he handed it to Taiyang, he pulled out his special drink, topping the rum with just a hint.

"Try this." Jaune said, handing it to the Hunter. Taiyang grabbed the glass and raised an eyebrow, tipping it slightly to take a whiff. Apparently finding a smell that he liked, Taiyang took a long sip, closing his eyes in obvious pleasure.

"Mm. Now that's a drink."

"Think of it as a thanks. For some good advice." Jaune said, grinning.

"I wouldn't really call it _good_ advice." Taiyang objected. "More like, something to offer from my point of view is all. Everyone deals with their problems differently." Jaune nodded.

After finishing that drink, Taiyang asked for the bill, telling Jaune that he needed to go soon.

"I've got a mission a little bit a ways from here. Pretty much the only reason why I could stop by here. I've already told my daughters what I was doing but… give them a hi for me?" Jaune nodded, assuring the father that he would do so. Taiyang paid Jaune neatly before heading off, wrapping himself in a long, yellowed trench coat. The rest of the night was short, with only an hour or so more of service time left, Jaune's mind began to wander while cleaning up his bar.

After the owner popped his head in for a quick check up, Jaune sat in one of the bar chairs, kicking the counter softly. He reached out, grabbing the whiskey bottle that he had yet to put away and popped the top open, pulling a glass out from the dishwasher.

"Fight back, huh?" Jaune said to himself, finishing the glass rather quickly. He refilled the glass again, probably putting in two or three times too much, but it wasn't like that really mattered.

As he finished off the bottle of whiskey, he recalled the old blade that he had taken away from his family home, collecting dust somewhere in his apartment.


	18. Mistakes

**A/N: So… tell me how I did with this chapter. I was a little distracted with the ELeague majors but… hopefully I made this chapter out to be as riveting as I wanted it to be :)**

 **That guy: Hahaha, so you say**

 **That guy: Thanks!**

 **A Stranger Without An Account: Thanks!**

 **Guest 1: Hahaha Thanks ^-^ I don't think I'm really at that level yet, and I'm doing this to help me write better first. I think most of you guys really just gave me a chance at first because my grammar isn't all out terrible XD Maybe I'll work on a book someday XD And I am a guy :)**

 **Guest 2: Thanks!**

 **Guest 3: Good! Everyone should love the ups and downs of recovery! Especially the downs! XD**

* * *

Jaune kept his pacing up, his breath heaving, his eyes wide as he made sure he didn't trip under any roots.

He was lost, and this was probably the last day of his life.

Staggering through the woods, Jaune clutched at the stomach wound that he sported and found a nice spot in the dirt to sit. He was a complete mess. _Should see the other guy_ , Jaune thought, chuckling grimly to himself. Lifting his hand, he saw the blood flowing and winced, placing his hand right back onto the wound.

 _Yeah, definitely not looking again._

Jaune hurt everywhere. There were scratches on his hands and knees where he fell from running, there were scratches where the branches hit him when he ran away, and there was the annoying stomach wound that seemed intent on keeping him immobile and slowly bleed him out. All small things that prevented him from crawling back home. What was even worse, there were already blisters forming on his palms from wielding Crocea Mors, which surprisingly pissed Jaune off more than him slowly bleeding to death.

 _Maybe I'm not fit to be a Hunter_. Jaune snorted in amusement at the thought. Who was he kidding? Of course he wasn't fit to be a Hunter, he's going to die after fighting a pair of Beowulves. Jaune groaned, sinking a little deeper into the ground as a pulse of pain wrack his body.

For someone who was about to die, he felt oddly calm though. There wasn't any panic, no dying wishes that he desperately needed to express. Regrets... he had a lot of those, but he's sure that wouldn't be a problem for much longer. Maybe it was a good thing. Maybe it was time to go.

Jaune sighed, closing his eyes, so tired. His eyes cracked open again when he heard a distinct snort of a Boarbatusk, shuffling out through a bush slowly, eyes flashing as he saw the limp blonde sitting underneath the solitary tree. The Grimm squealed angrily and pawed at the ground, head lowered and ready to charge at the human that dared reveal himself to the creature.

The boy wasn't scared of dying. But he closed his eyes anyways, not wanting to see the goring that he was going to be put through. Jaune could hear it though. The rhythmic stomping as the Boarbatusk got closer and closer, the pitched screaming...

Then silence.

 _Am I dead yet?_

Jaune cracked open an eye, expecting white fields and sunshines, or alternatively, firey fields or at least a sort of comfy bed that he could lie in for all of eternity. He didn't see any of that though. Well, he saw white, but it was against a backdrop of trees and a fallen Grimm, split in half cleanly.

The white mass shifted, and as it turned, a face was revealed. It was a familiar face, as if someone had taken one of his friends and aged it twenty or so years forwards. In fact, Jaune squinted carefully, unsure if it was it was Ruby or not, his failing vision not helping out at this point. The scene confused him enough that he actually couldn't help but ask.

"Ruby?"

The girl—no, Jaune was pretty confident that she was a woman, if not by her face, then by the way she stood and the air she held, smirked a little. It was like looking into an identical twin.

"Not exactly." Ah, the voice was certainly different though. Deeper. Warmer, without the underlying threat that it would suddenly crack if she decided to rise to a higher tone. Jaune could definitely see Ruby growing up to have that sort of voice though. The woman crouched down, her white cloak sweeping the ground as she looked closer at the wound that Jaune sported. Suddenly he felt self conscious, twisting his body to the side a little before gasping as pain bloomed. Where it appeared, Jaune wasn't sure, but he _really_ didn't want to find out.

A soft hand touched his chest and pushed him towards the ground. The flaring pain subsided a little along with the motion, allowing Jaune to open his eyes and look into the concerned woman's stare.

"You should probably move a little less." She said quietly, something that Jaune wholeheartedly agreed to. He might be dying, but he'd rather not suffer too much while doing it though. Wait a second. There was another spasm as Jaune tried to sit up, making the woman frown, her hand pushing a little harder downwards, discouraging him from sitting higher.

"Can you... help me?" Jaune asked weakly. Suddenly there was a brief hope, a small flicker of flame as there was a small chance of surviving. A flame that completely disappeared when the woman's face turned sorrowful, shaking her head.

"I'm... sorry. I can't."

Jaune parted his lips, growing slightly indignant. What do you mean you can't? Can't save a life? You mean won't save it? Then he closed his mouth again, as well as his eyes. He was too tired to care anyways. Wasn't he ready to die just a few moments ago anyways? The woman touched his shoulder again, bringing his attention towards her.

"I'm sorry. I truly am. If I could I would, but..." This time the woman closed her eyes, her face pained. Her body almost seemed to shake in anger because of... something. Some reason that she wasn't telling, and Jaune didn't know. His heart ached, adding to the pain throughout his body.

The last thing he wanted to do was hurt someone.

Using a small amount of his diminishing energy, Jaune reached out and touched his companion's face, bringing her eyes to his.

"It's alright." Jaune said, smiling. There were more words that he wanted to say, more things he wanted to do to make sure that she wouldn't the pain and regret of not saving him.

Dust knows he already knows what that feels like.

He didn't need to say anything though, as she touched his hand and smiled, thanking him with her eyes.

Silence passed between the two of them as Jaune drew a few labored breaths, reminding himself to keep the pressure on his wound. It was painful to stay awake, to give effort in staying alive, but a small, struggling part inside of him insisted that he stay for as long as possible, if only to keep this woman company.

"Who are you?" Jaune asked quietly. Everything he said was quiet now, Jaune trying to conserve as much energy as he possibly could.

"Someone who's here to ease your pain." The woman replied. Another touch of her hand made him sigh, drawing in a larger lungful of air. "I want... Let me make your last moments more comfortable." She removed her cloak and laid it on top of him, something that was more comforting than it should've been. The only thing he could really think was that he was probably staining the beautiful white cloak with his blood.

"Thank you." _For being here_ , Jaune wanted to say, but started to cough violently, the action sapping even more of his precious strength. When he was able to come to again he spotted the drops of blood seeping through the cloak. "Sorry." He croaked out. The woman chuckled, shaking her head.

"You're the one dying," She said, "but you're saying sorry for a stain on my cloak? You're fine sweetie." Jaune laughed a little, but stopped quickly before it started to really pain him. The woman continued to keep his mind off the pain, chatting idly and touching his shoulder, his chest, constantly making sure that he was comfortable. It was nice.

It reminded him of his mother.

That brought a real smile on his face. With his eyes closed, he could just imagine his mother fussing at him when he hurt himself, making sure that he was alright after a rough day, like falling off his bike, tripping and falling down the stairs, accidentally closing the door on his hands.

Wow.

Looking back at it, no wonder he made a terrible Hunter.

His imagination took things a little further, bringing him all the way back to his home, where he tried pushing him mom away, insisting that he was alright while his dad tried to convince him to listen to her.

 _"I'm alright mom!" Jaune insisted. "I'm tough, like dad!"_

 _The man laughed at that, shaking his head while wrapping up Jaune's leg. "Come on sport, even I need something to keep me strong." His wife raised an eyebrow at him._

 _"A strong drink isn't really the same thing." She said quietly under her breath._

 _"What was that dear?"_

 _"Nothing!"_

"Why did you even come out here?"

The question came from the mysterious woman, peering at Jaune curiously. It was a reasonable question, after all. Not many sane civilians would go into the forest and pick a fight with the Grimm. Most wouldn't even think about getting close to the edge of the trees actually. _I guess that just makes me crazy then,_ Jaune thought to himself, chuckling maniacally inside of his mind.

"It doesn't really matter anymore does it? I made a mistake and I went here. That's all there is." Jaune grunted dismissively. The woman didn't seem to share his sentiments though.

"I think it does matter." She objected, smiling at him. Jaune just eyed her cautiously.

"Why?" He asked. "Why would it really matter?"

"Because," The woman replied, "One should always settle their accounts before… moving on." Jaune pulled a face at her not-so-subtle euphemism and slumped forward, face pained.

"I…" Jaune struggled trying to talk, breathing heavily. "I just wanted to try and fight."

"Fight?"

"Fight what's wrong." Jaune answered back with a whisper. The woman laid a hand on his and kept her gaze on him.

"And what's wrong?"

"I don't know!" Jaune half-shouted, the loudest he had gotten since being saved from the Boarbatusks. "The unfairness of the world, my parents dying, being— being alone. I don't know." Jaune grew quieter, coughs rising up through his throat. The woman helped him through the coughs by rubbing his back. The coughing was growing more painful, seeming to disturb his ribs. He put his arm over his eyes, closing them. "I don't even know why I did this. This is so… stupid."

Neither of them spoke for a little while, Jaune agonizing over his decisions and regrets while the woman sat there at his side, keeping him company. Suddenly all of his regrets seemed to flash before his eyes. Everything he wanted and should've done but never did it, and everything he did but should've never done.

 _Mom… Dad…_

He missed them both so, so much.

But the lady beside him was right. Maybe he needed to clear his head, clear his heart before the end.

"When I was a kid," Jaune said hoarsely, bringing the brunette's attention towards him. "I wanted to be a Hunter. My dad was one, you know? He wasn't a very good one," Jaune laughed a little, remembering how many nights Nicholas Arc seemed to come home with his Aura smashed, cuts and scratches all over him. "But he always came back home." Jaune glanced over to see if the woman was listening, which she was, smiling softly at him. He drew in another breath and continued talking.

"When he decided that he didn't want to train me to be a Hunter… It hurt. A lot." Jaune's eyes fluttered briefly, heavy and wanting to rest. But still he kept them open.

"He was scared of losing you." The woman replied back. The blonde boy nodded, smiling at her.

"I know that now. But back then…" He sighed, pain running across his face. "I was so mad. So angry." Jaune glanced down at the cloak laid across him. "I ran away. Worst decision I've ever made." Jaune said, laughing humorlessly.

"…What happened?"

Jaune stiffened, his eyes squeezing tight, his mind bombarding him with the memory. Of his mistake.

"I…" Jaune whispered, his heart beating painfully fast. It was the first time he was going to talk about what actually happened. It felt weird that it was probably going to be his last time too. "I snuck out during the night. Went towards the nearest docking bay to catch a ride to Vale and… and I took… I took…" Jaune's eyes glanced over towards the sword that he had dropped earlier, having been used more of as a cane than a fighting implement. He sighed and continued to talk. "On my way through I saw… Grimm. A lot of them. And what do I do?" Jaune laughed derisively, almost hysterically at himself. "I hid. I found the nearest tree, climbed up and waited for them to pass. Some hero I am." Jaune muttered under his breath. The lady gave a sympathetic smile, but shook her head at his statement. Her face showed a hint of regret as she touched his shoulder.

"Sometimes," She said quietly, "Sometimes the best thing you can do is live to come back home to your family." She muttered even quieter, something Jaune couldn't quite catch, except for a few words here and there, "Should've thought things through," and "Sorry," being the main things.

"That's the thing." Jaune objected after she finished talking. "The only thing I thought about was myself when I climbed up that tree. I mean, it didn't take me long to realize where they were heading." A single tear slid down his cheek out of his control, remembering desperately running back home to do something, _anything._ "I came back home and found…" Jaune gasped, unable to finish what he was saying, doubling over in pain, physical and psychological. There was a soft gasp of understanding from the woman as pieced the puzzle together.

"It was a massacre." Jaune said woodenly. "My sisters. My mother. My dad, he tried to hold them off, but—" Jaune's breathing grew more and more uneven, his eyes still stuck on Crocea Mors. "Even Hunters have a hard time killing Grimm without their weapons."

"Oh… Oh Jaune…" The breathy whisper from the woman only served to hurt Jaune further, the boy groaning in pain, tears flowing more freely.

"I… I found my mom and—and she told me to run… and I _ran_." Jaune drew in a shuddering breath. "I just _ran_. From my family. From everything." One of his hands covered his face, muffling the sobs that tried to escape. "I killed them. Me."

"Oh. Oh sweetie…" There was a flurry of movement as the lady wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly, leaving him breathless. She didn't say anything, only keep him in her grasp. Jaune didn't say anything either, instead opting to wrap his shaking limbs around her body, burying himself into her shoulder and he let himself cry.

Calming down was harder than Jaune thought. He tried—oh yes, he tried his best, his mind repeating itself over and over again. Stop crying. Stop crying. Stop crying. But the tears didn't stop. The emotions he felt kept coming, and coming, and coming…

The only thing that tethered him still to this world was a calm and steady hand, stroking his back. The only sensation his mind registered, allowing him—slowly—to calm down and hold back the tears.

"I'm sorry to hear that Jaune." The woman said after making sure Jaune had found a bit of calm. It wasn't as much as he would have liked, but it was enough to keep his tears to a minimal, and allowed him to use to hands to cover his stomach wound, which had started to weep again when he had removed the pressure from it. "I know how… hard mistakes can be. Living through the unintended consequences of what you did?" Again the look of regret crossed her face. "I'll have to admit I've gone the full distance in that respect."

"Really?" Jaune hiccupped, blinking rapidly. The smile appeared on her face again, this time a little smaller than before, her eyes showing a different story as well.

"Everyone makes mistakes that they wished they could change. Some bigger than others. I know how it feels, and I'm sure you're sick of hearing how it's not your fault." The ever-present hand brushed Jaune's bangs out of his eyes, her kind look piercing through him. "It doesn't really matter how many people tell you it's not your fault, does it? Because in the end, it's not their opinion of you that matters. It's yours."

The bloodied boy nodded, his heart fluttering as he _finally_ found someone who understood.

"But," She cautioned, raising a solitary finger. "You have to make sure not to keep yourself mired in the past." Her silver eyes held him in place, trying to convey the importance of her next words. "If you stay stuck in the past… you'll never be able to escape the hurt. And it'll keep building and building until…" Her eyes finally slid away from his, her fist over her heart. "You'll end up hurting those around you as well."

Jaune cracked a smile, revealing bloodstained teeth. "It's a little too late for that now, isn't it?" His tone was sarcastic, but his expression was the same as the woman's. Regretful.

"Yes. Maybe it is." The woman laughed. The situation was grim, but the two of them laughed, because sometimes, if you don't laugh, you cry.

"It's a shame," The woman spoke again. "that you decided that the best way to clear your conscience was to do something so… rash." Jaune shrugged.

"One of my friend's dad gave me some advice. I'm sure he didn't mean to go and fight Grimm without Aura but…" Jaune thought about the bottles of whiskey that lay at home. "It's not the first mistake I've done." He covered his face, another regret surfacing. "I hope Taiyang doesn't feel guilty about talking to me."

"Taiyang?" The brunette seemed started, eyes wide as she looked at Jaune. "Taiyang gave you advice?"

"Yes," Jaune nodded. "You know him?"

The woman covered her face, again muttering something under her breath. "Something like that." The smile that she showed was wide, humor sparkling in her eyes. "My husband is a great man," She said happily, "But he's a bit of an idiot sometimes."

"You're husband?" Jaune continued to blink owlishly at the unexpected information. The woman sighed, nodding.

"Yes." She pointed a finger at Jaune. "You probably shouldn't listen to him too often. His advice sounds good and most of the time, it is sound advice. But he also forgets to take in circumstances before he does things." She shook her head, closing her eyes. "Trust me, he doesn't think things through very often, and I'm sure if he gave thought to whatever advice he was giving you, he would've said something different." She covered her face, shaking her head.

Jaune just sat there, looking at the woman, still confused about what she had just said.

"Wait. You're Taiyang's wife?"

An eyebrow rose up as she lowered her hands. "That's… what I said, did I?"

"But… aren't you supposed to be… dead?"

Summer Rose looked at him with a blank expression.

"I am."

…

Jaune was so confused.

"But how—what—" Jaune's ever-present headache seemed to pulse with his confusion, making him clutch his head. "I am so confused right now."

The mother of Ruby laughed, one of her hands ruffling his hair. "I can see why. Don't worry about it Jaune. It's one of the mysteries of the world."

"I still don't—" Jaune protested, before another coughing spell took him over, this time more painful than ever. The coughing kept going and going, blood spilling from his mouth, his wounds bleeding faster as his hands left his stomach.

"Oh Dust I—" Jaune's chest rose and fell faster than ever before, his eyes wide, panicked. "I can't—I can't breathe." Summer sat there, an unreadable expression on her face.

"It hurts doesn't it?" She asked quietly. Jaune could only nod, unable to speak. Oh _God_ it hurt so much. Lights seemed to ebb and flow in his eyes, vision blurring in and out. Then he found it. Deep within himself, he found one thought that brought him away from the brink of death for a just a tiny bit longer.

 _I don't want to go_.

"Please…" Jaune whispered, hand fumbling to find the woman's hand. The grip was a little different when he found it though, another hand resting on top of his. The hands were definitely different from before. Jaune looked up, finding not Summer there, but Violetta Arc sitting beside him, a motherly smile on her face. Beside her sat Nicholas.

"Mom… Dad…" Jaune croaked out, coughing loudly from the two words. _I'm sorry,_ he wanted to say. He _needed_ to say. The two sitting beside him shook their heads though, but didn't say a word, their eyes understanding and kind.

 _We forgive you_.

There was only understanding between the three of them. More movement rustled around him, making Jaune look and find one, two, three of his sisters. Mika, Hazel, Pazi… where were the others? Was he going to meet them later, after he passed? The thought went through his mind, and was engulfed into the forefront of his mind.

"I don't want to go." Jaune said, begged. For once in his life, he had found peace, but he didn't want it. He wanted to make things right, he wanted to stop regretting and _live_.

"Please…"

And with the word, the images of his family disappeared, his chest constricting tightly. But still he forced the air out of his lungs. Breathing was living. Breathing was living. What else could the living do? What else?

They could sing.

Jaune's mind worked on its last dredges of energy, recalling the first song that he had ever heard when he came to Vale. His cracked lips parted, and as uneven a tone as it was, as unmelodic as it was, Jaune sang.

" _T-tell me_ …" Jaune's coughs were getting quietly, his breathing shallower. " _Tell me_ … _something_."

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.

" _Tell me who's the loneliest_ …"

Breathe in…

" _Of… all_."

Jaune closed his eyes, his last breath escaping him as his chin touched his chest, slumping inwards.

.

.

.

"-ne?"

"—aune!"

"Jaune!"


	19. How To Save a Life

**A/N: I just wanted to thank y'all for reading that last chapter. I finally broke past the 10k views mark for Tuesday! Woo Hoo! All of these reviews and views have pretty much solidified in my mind that I need more heart-wrenching, almost near death Jaune scenes in the story. Perfect. XD On that note, woo hoo, longest chapter I've ever written EVER, and I hope it's a good one, 'cause it sure as hell ran away from me. I think I should've split this into two chapters but... nah. Hope y'all enjoy this one, 'cause Jaune sure as Hell ain't gonna. Oh! Tell me if I'm using too many italics. I tried to tone it down but... Man. Lots of emphasis on things this chapter.**

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* * *

There was a lot of speculation on Remnant of what happens to the mind when people die. It's one of life's big mysteries, something that no one can really ever solve until the day they… well, die. And it's slightly hard for the dying to talk about what happens after their dead. And so humanity (and faunus-kind) continued on, forever wondering about the afterlife and what it entails until the very final moments of their lives, when the answer to that question will matter the least.

Jaune heard a lot of crying in his dreams from all sorts of familiar voices. He assumed that it was just something that happened when you're dead. You feel like you're floating, there's a white light, and there's a ton of screaming and crying from the people that you cared about. You know, the normal things to experience post-death.

Cracking open an eyelid revealed that for some reason, there was a lot of white. White was everywhere. The walls were white, the sheets were white, Dust, the _drawers_ were white. And the noise. For something that should've been peaceful, death sure was loud. The lights were bright. Like, blindingly bright. Jaune wasn't sure if he was staring at the sun or something, but it was starting to hurt his eyes to look at the glaring light. Finally, as if surfacing out of a pool of water, Jaune's hearing returned to him, albeit slowly.

"—And the _fact_ that you even attempted in coercing a minor, who is _not_ a Hunter or granted Aura in any waay, into drinking is simply… simply idiotic! Honestly, I should just—"

"We didn't know! We already said we're sorry Weiss—"

"Don't you Weiss me! I should honestly take Myrtenaster and shove it up—"

"Alright, let's try and calm down, come on Ruby talk some sense—"

"Shut up Yang! I am trying to figure out whether I should let Weiss do what she wants or stop her—"

"That one please!"

"—and do it myself with Crescent Rose!"

"Not that one please!"

The shouting continued on and on, long enough for Jaune's mind to start picking up its pace and start recognizing where he was at and that he probably wasn't dead. His brain concluded that he was definitely alive when he tried shifting in place, trying to sit up. The pain was unbearable, and Jaune couldn't even stop the groan that escaped his mouth even if he tried, the sound cutting through the shouting that was going on, everyone around Jaune freezing at the indication that Jaune was awake. There was a shuffle, and a crash as something was tipped over as a group of bodies made their way into his vision, crowding around his bed.

"Jaune, you're awake!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Dude, I'm so glad you're didn't bleed out or something." Sun said tactlessly, crying out in pain as Blake dug her elbow into his side.

"What he meant to say," Blake took over, stopping to glare at the cowered Sun, "is that we're glad you're alright." The other murmured in agreement, restless as they waited for Jaune to say something.

The blonde looked around, a faint smile on his face. "Thanks guys." The simple phrase was enough for all of them, shoulders visibly lowering as he said the words, before Weiss decided to step up and ruin the happy mood.

"While I am glad that you are… _well_ , I think there's a few things that you need to explain to us." The tone was firm but not harsh, and there were several heads that nodded in agreement, wondering why Jaune was in this position in the first place. The bartender squirmed uncomfortably at their gazes and gave a nervous chuckle.

"I guess you guys aren't going to take a 'I'll explain later' are you?"

The heads around him moved in sync, every one of them shaking left to right. Jaune sighed, looking down and discovering his bandaged arms. Lifting one of them up, Jaune frowned, unable to remember why he would need medical attention on his arms.

"Multiple lesions on both arms, mostly from Beowulf claws and tree branches." Jaune looked at Ren, who was the one who recited the information. "I'm assuming that's why you were looking at your arms?" The pink-eyed warrior asked politely. Jaune nodded slowly, his attention returning to his arms.

"Yeah. I didn't realize…" Jaune winced as he tried to tighten his hands into fists, feeling lines of pain run up and down his arms. "I didn't realize it was this bad."

"Bad is a nice way of saying that." Yang retorted, crossing her arms. "Do you know how… dinged up you are?" Jaune blinked, trying to reach out and feel what was wrong with his body. It was in pain. Yep. Lots of it too. In fact, he was in so much pain that Jaune wasn't even sure _where_ it was coming from. Like a dull ache that was going through his whole body, except it wasn't a dull ache and more of a sharp pain.

"Three incisions across the belly," Jaune's gaze was forced back up to find Weiss to be the one speaking, her voice completely calm, but her eyes sparking with anger. "Deep enough that we could see—" She cut herself off, turning away and taking a steadying breath before continuing. "Scratches and bruises on almost every part of your body, multiple infections and your back—" Again she stopped, unable to speak another word. _What happened to my back?_ Jaune tried to remember and… oh. He remembered now. His swordsmanship was… lackluster in that fight with the Beowulfs to say the least, and without being able to bring up his shield fast enough…

There were only three incisions on his stomach, but there must've been a dozen more on his back alone.

"Heh. That bad huh?" Jaune asked, laughing helplessly. He quickly shut his mouth when Weiss glared at him.

"That bad? That. Bad?" Weiss made a motion that seemed vaguely threatening. "You almost died! And not to talk about the fact that you were inebriated?" Weiss poked him in the chest, making him wince in pain. "What were you thinking?" Jaune wasn't able to answer as Weiss continued to talk. "Oh that's right. You probably weren't thinking!"

Jaune wanted to protest, to say something, but knew that she was right. Instead he kept his head lowered, letting her yell at him. She was right. It was his mistake. Weiss seemed to catch on from how he didn't speak back and reigned herself. She stopped speaking and closed her eyes, taking a calming breath.

"I'm—I'm glad you're alive though." Weiss said quietly, one of her hands tightening softly around his. Jaune smiled, glad that they weren't too mad at him.

"Thanks. I'm sorry about—"

There was a sudden cracking sound somewhere behind the hospital curtain that interrupted Jaune, who paused, wondering what the noise was. When the curtain was shoved aside, Jaune paled, seeing a furious blonde woman standing in front of him, eyes focused on him.

Suddenly Jaune's lingering sense of impending doom returned.

"Professor Goodwitch." Jaune greeted weakly, mind scrambling to think of something to say. "How've you been…?"

The woman brushed aside a few strands of her hair that had escaped her sagging bun, not letting up on her piercing stare. Jaune decided that now wasn't the best time to joke around and quickly slumped downwards, almost melting back into his bed. The blonde professor still didn't say anything, stalking towards Jaune like a predator towards wounded prey. The rest of the room wisely parted before her, murmuring paper-thin excuses to leave the room. Professor Goodwitch waited patiently for them to leave the room before she spoke, her voice coming out and cutting through the tension.

"I am going to give you one minute to explain to me why, in your _tiny_ mind, you would think that going and fighting Grimm unarmored and without a speck of formal training… was a good idea."

A bead of sweat slid down Jaune's forehead, his stomach beginning to boil under the pressure of her gaze. "Just one minute? I might need a little longer." Jaune laughed, trying to offer a joke in hopes of defusing Glynda's rising anger. The laugh died pretty quickly as the professor didn't make a single move except to glance at a nearby clock, looking back and crossing her arms, sending an effective, unspoken message. _Tick. Tock_. Jaune was beginning to have a hard time swallowing.

"I—Look. It's." Jaune made a few vague motions with his hands. "It wasn't my smartest idea." Jaune admitted, shrugging. Jaune swore he heard the creaking of the blonde woman's leather handle as she tightened her grip on the crop, a single eyebrow raising up.

"It wasn't your smartest idea?" She echoed, before almost vibrating with anger. "Well I am certainly glad you were able to come to that conclusion." Her tone slid down to a violent hiss, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Jaune started to get a little defensive, not sure what the professor wanted from him.

"What do you want me to say?" Jaune asked, helpless, "It was a mistake, alright?"

"Mistake? Mistake?!" Glynda laughed, almost hysterically, some of her bangs escaping her tight bun and flying all over the place as she gestured wildly. The bedridden boy flinched, never having seen a side of her so close to the edge. "No Jaune, this wasn't a _mistake,_ or an _accident_. A _mistake_ is when you decide eat too much in one sitting and end up throwing up. An _accident_ is when you drop a knife and nick yourself. A mistake is _not_ becoming an alcoholic at seventeen, relapsing at _still_ an illegal age to drink, and going OUT TO GET YOURSELF KILLED!"

Every one of those points hit Jaune hard, but it only hurt worse when Professor Goodwitch leaned over, her arms propping her up against the bed. It was a movement to help hide her facial expression, even though Jaune had already seen hints of tears welling up in her eyes.

"An accident and a mistake is something that happens when you don't think things through and find yourself at the mercy of chance," Glynda continued, her voice quieting down. "It is _not_ a mistake if you go and leave your bar, fetch a weapon and go into the deeper parts of the jungle to fight things you've never fought before." She shook her head, hands gripping Jaune's sheets. "No. That's stupidity. And if that stupidity had led you to… to your death?" Professor Goodwitch straightened up, her hands rubbing away at her eyes. "That wouldn't be an accident," She said quietly. "That would be a tragedy."

Jaune was at a loss for words, and without thinking, he started to protest. "It's not like that, trust me, it _was_ a mistake! You said it yourself, it happened because I wasn't thinking it through!"

"Oh? So you're saying that the whole time while you _went back to your apartment_ , _grabbed a weapon, and headed to the forest_ … You didn't think it through once?" The blonde woman asked, raising a harsh eyebrow.

"No, because I was—" _drunk_ , Jaune thought, cutting himself off and hoping that the professor wouldn't notice. But that could never be the case. She hadn't been a teacher and a Huntress for so long that she couldn't take advantage of an opening like that.

"Because you were what? Hurt? Angry?" Jaune didn't say anything, a pained look on his face. "Or maybe it was because you were _drunk_." The boy flinched, his whole body stiffening at the word.

"Did you think I wouldn't know?" She hissed out, taking a step forward. "Did you think, after Ruby carried you into the hospital, they wouldn't do _tests_ on you, to see if there was anything wrong with you? Did you think," Professor Goodwitch had started to talk slower, pronouncing every word carefully, every syllable like a dropping hammer. "that when the doctors refused to operate on you, I wouldn't ask _why?_ " Still Jaune refused to answer, his body shaking, his bandaged hands gripping tightly at the sheets. "And when they told me they couldn't put you on anything, because of how much alcohol was in your blood, without the possibility of killing you anyways, when I had to _watch you bleed out slowly_ because they had to wait until the alcohol left your system," Glynda paused, her teeth ground together so tight that she couldn't even part them to talk, "Did you _think_ , for even a _second_ , that I wouldn't be furious?!"

"Of course not!" Jaune shouted, rising up out of his bed, ignoring the multiple twinges of pain all around his body.

"THEN WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" Professor Goodwitch roared, slamming her fist onto the bedside drawer so hard that the top exploded into splinters, flying outwards and impaling themselves against every surface in the room except Jaune and the professor.

"Is everything alrig—" A nurse entered the room frantically, checking to see what had happened before freezing at the doorway, caught under the full glare of the professor.

"I'll, uh, I'll come back later." She said meekly, closing the door behind her again.

When Professor Goodwitch turned her attention back towards Jaune, she found one that was a little angrier, a little more adamant.

The guilt wasn't something new, Dust, he had been feeling it the moment he had woken up. But in the middle of it all was festering, burning anger. He understood. Yes, he knew what his... choice's consequences are, he doesn't need to be reminded of it again. He. Got. It.

"I get it." Jaune whispered hotly. "I won't make that mistake again. Now kindly get out of my face."

Glynda froze, eyes widening at the boy's words, shock written across her face. And suddenly it was gone, the rage replacing it once again.

"You're _mad_ at me? You?"

"Yes I'm mad at you!" Jaune yelled, mirroring the professor just a second ago by slamming his hands onto the bed sheets. It would've been much more effective too if he hadn't winced, bringing a smug reaction out of the professor. Ignoring the look, Jaune shouted at her. "I know I did something wrong! I get it! I'm sorry! Stop _telling_ me this already, I've heard enough of it!"

"You've heard enough of it? You've _heard_ enough of it?" Again came the derisive laughter, quickly cut off when she glared at him again. "Well apparently not if you're still pulling unbelievable stunts like this!" The professor turned and almost seemed to pace, her face still set angrily. "You know what I've had enough of? Looking at you and worrying you might not make it to the next day!"

"It shouldn't worry you in the first place! I'm alive, aren't I?"

"Really? Because you almost dying yesterday reassures me how?"

"I—" Jaune cut himself off, looking away from Professor Goodwitch. "I'm... sorry." Jaune gritted out, still shaking from anger. The room fell into silence as they both looked at each other, not sure what else to say. Without something to fight, Jaune slowly slid into his ever present guilt, and the deeper anger that lie inside.

"Do you honestly think we wouldn't be mad at you?" Glynda asked quietly. "You almost… died on us. Did you think we would just walk it off? Put it in the back of our minds? Pretend it never happened?" Now her tone changed, the anger disappearing, replaced with worry, fear. Her forehead creased, eyes reflecting the hurt that Jaune had seen in everyone else's eyes when he had woken up.

Jaune wasn't sure if it was the anger or the silent pain that hurt him the most.

Glynda sighed, shaking her head. "I may not know you all that well, Jaune _Arc_ , but I definitely know that you're not stupid. Think about the people that care about you. Ruby. Weiss. Nora. Pyrrha." She shook her head, fists shaking. "There are so many that I can't even list them all. Hunters and Huntresses, all of them, trained to save people like you. _Think_ about that for a second." A pale finger jabbed Jaune's forehead. "In their minds, no matter what you say, what you did.. If you had died, only one thing would have gone through their minds. Do you know what those words are?" Jaune could guess, but his throat closed up, shame welling up in him.

"They failed." She said the words carefully, watching Jaune flinch hearing them. "No matter what anyone would say to them, they will think of reasons and things they could have done differently, and in their minds, there will always be a 'what if' when it comes to you." A hand rested on Jaune's, making him look up into the green eyes of the professor. "I'm sure you understand that feeling perfectly well." Eyes widening, Jaune jerked his hand away from hers.

She knew. He didn't know how, but she knew.

She knew he killed his family.

Hyperventilating made breathing a lot harder, Jaune discovered. The bedridden boy's vision turned cloudy, his mind running, sprinting furiously in fear. He could barely feel the hands that touched his face, could barely hear the insistent voice that told him to breathe slower, to calm down. Cloudy vision turned black for a second, and Jaune's eyelids fluttered, almost fainting before he felt arms embracing his whole body, warmth suffusing through his whole body. Desperately Jaune's arms flew up, tightening around the body, pulling the two of them as close to each other as possible.

Minutes flew by, neither of them counting as they sat there together, Glynda rubbing circles along his back, murmuring things that he couldn't hear, but could still feel, while Jaune struggled to keep his breathing and rapid heartbeat in check. He thought that he could hear the door open and close a few times, but everything else was drowned out by the rushing of blood in his ears.

"…How long have you known?"

The bed shifted a little bit as Professor Goodwitch moved enough to look at Jaune in the eyes. "Only since… I found you in your apartment. I needed to know if your family had a past with… alcohol." Jaune's eyes closed, forcing memories away from his mind. "I'm sorry for intruding into something so private, but I had to know." It didn't take much longer for Jaune to think things through logically and push away the screaming, irrational part of his mind.

Did it really matter if people knew his past anyways? Would that really change much?

Yes, his mind whispered, reminding himself of the fact that his friends were Hunters and Huntresses, people sworn to be the protectors of life. And he had taken away seven in one careless moment.

Jaune shivered and unconsciously wrapped himself closer to the woman holding him.

"I'm sorry Jaune." Glynda whispered. "I really am." Jaune didn't say anything, only keeping himself close to her.

"Did Ruby... say anything when she brought me in? Like, if she saw anyone?" Jaune wondered if everything that happened before he blacked out was just a grand hallucination or something... more. Professor Goodwitch shook her head.

"I only heard about what had happened after you were admitted into the hospital. When I came Ruby was still a little... upset at seeing you in that state, so she didn't really say much to me." Jaune nodded, reminding himself to ask Ruby if she had seen anything later on. But for now, they stayed together, holding each other.

"You're not a selfish person Jaune," Professor Goodwitch spoke up, pulling away from Jaune again, looking into his eyes. "and I know that telling you how everyone feels probably tears you up inside. But sometimes," She shook her head, a frown on her face, "sometimes what hurts is what's needed the most." Her grip tightened briefly, and the stern look on her face hardened for a second. "And if you didn't need this, then you definitely deserve it for making us worry so much."

Jaune nodded meekly, understanding her anger. "Sorry," He whispered quietly, not knowing what else to say. The apology didn't change anything he did… but hopefully it was a start to some change.

A loud beep came from the professor's pockets, someone sending a text through to her scroll. She pulled the device out and quickly scanned the contents of the text before sighing, putting the scroll away and looking at Jaune.

"I need to go. It seems that after spending the whole night here there are a few things that I need to straighten out at Beacon." She gave him a worried, lingering glance before standing up. Jaune smiled.

"Thank you." He croaked out, not specifying what he was thanking. He didn't need to, the blonde woman knowing exactly what he meant. Impulsively, Professor Goodwitch leaned over and kissed the bedridden boy on his temple, pulling back up to give him a soft, motherly smile.

"Just remember," She said, "I may not be your mother but that does _not_ mean I will abandon you. Ever." She squeezed his hand once before letting go, striding out of the room, her heels clicking underneath the hospital tiles.

The bartender sat there, not sure what he was feeling. On one hand, he still felt guilty for putting all of his friends through something like this. On the other hand… it felt as if he had broken some kind of barrier. Something about Professor Goodwitch… about Glynda knowing his past made him feel… freer. Calmer. Maybe even a little more hopeful.

He hoped this feeling would last a while.

The sound of glass shattering made him jump, his head turning to look over at his window, assuming that someone had thrown something through the windowpane. When it was revealed that the glass was untouched, Jaune drew in his eyebrows, wondering if he the concussion he had also entailed sound hallucinations or something.

When he turned back and saw Neo was suddenly standing there, Jaune's heart flew out of his chest, gasping in fright.

"OH, by the—Holy Dust packets, Neo! You almost scared the life out of me!" Jaune gasped, clutching at his chest. "I don't even have that much life left to spare." He added, groaning as he struggled to keep his heart rate down, the heart monitor calming down after suddenly spiking up. Looking up, Jaune was surprised to see a curious light in her eyes, her face a lot closer than it was before, her nose only a foot or so away from his. Involuntarily, Jaune jerked back, surprised at the sudden closeness.

Neo clicked her tongue and put both of her hands on Jaune's head, keeping it in place for who-knows-what reason, staring intently into his eyes. A few seconds passed by like this, Jaune not daring to blink as he wondered what Neo was trying to do. One of her hands drifted towards the corners of his eyes, tracing the redness of the ridges, where he had rubbed away his tears a little too harshly. A flicker of emotion passed through her before it disappeared under more emotions that Jaune wasn't able to place.

Just as suddenly as when she got close to him, she hopped off the bed, striding up to the hospital door and looking through the window, before locking the door and looking back at Jaune, her blue eyes flashing as she looked into his. With a cocky smile she fell apart into hundreds of pieces, disappearing from sight.

Jaune blinked rapidly, not sure what had just happened. Before he could even piece together any further information, another sound of exploding glass happened, Neo appearing in front of him again, this time with a friend.

"… Cinder?" Jaune asked, confused as to why the seductive woman was here. Like Neo, she didn't speak at first, standing there and looking at Jaune slowly, as if trying to take in the sight of him sitting in the bed.

"…I should just kill you now." The whisper was quiet, so quiet that Jaune almost couldn't hear it, making the hairs on his arm stand up, the beeping heart monitor on the wall betraying his rising heart rate.

"I'm sorry?"

Cinder's eyes snapped up to his, her movements just as jerky as she approached the bedside and sat down, one of her hands holding his chin. A second or two passed before she parted her lips, deciding to speak.

"While your bravery is admirable, charging head on into your death and almost not coming out of it would be categorized as foolish and reckless." The words, as always, were delivered smoothly, as if Cinder stood in front of a mirror and practiced the lines, making sure her intonation and cadence were perfect, so that her words could deliver as much meaning as she could possibly express.

"Yeah, I kind of realized that." Jaune said, laughing nervously. He was trying to play it off, like he always did, but didn't even bother trying to remove Cinder's hand away from his chin. She always exuded a specific power that made it hard for him to do anything against her wishes, and most of the time, he would at least have the home advantage going against her. Here, he knew that the last thing he wanted was to piss her off. Cinder hadn't said anything for a while, digesting his words before speaking.

"Do you wish to be more powerful?"

"Huh?" The question was sudden, and a little confusing to Jaune.

"Do you wish to gain strength?" Cinder asked again, rephrasing the question. "Is that why you did something so… callous?" Jaune blinked, mouth slightly open, not sure what to say.

"Uh. Not… really?"

"Then why?" Cinder pressed, leaning in closer. "Why would you do something so… disadvantageous to yourself?" She looked genuinely confused, unable to understand the reasoning of why he would do such a thing.

"I- I'm not sure." Jaune stuttered, wishing that he could lean back a little further, cursing the fact that his back was already against the headboard. "It wasn't really something I thought about is all!"

That didn't seem to sit well with Cinder, judging from the harsh glare on her face. Jaune didn't know what to say though, and simply decided that now would be a good time to shut up, staring at the woman in fear, wondering what was going to happen.

"I do not understand you Jaune." Cinder said frankly, eyes unblinking as she let go of his chin, straightening up. "You are a puzzle to me. And I do not like puzzles very much."

Jaune tried not to rub his chin, the tip of it unusually warm, and gave a small shrug and an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry about that?" He said, half asking, half apologizing. Still Cinder didn't let up on her stare, as if she was waiting for him to fall into pieces and tell her his whole life story and the motivations behind his every move.

"Hello? Is someone in there?" A muffled voice spoke out behind the locked door leading to the outside hallways in Jaune's room. "I'm sorry, but this door isn't supposed to be locked during visiting hours. Hello?"

Jaune opened his mouth to answer before a sudden flash of pink and brown flashed before his eyes, a gloved hand covering his mouth. Neo put a finger up to her lips, signaling for silence before turning and looking at Cinder. The woman nodded, an unspoken message passing between the two of them.

The doorknob jiggled, a hand pounding on the doorframe insistently. "Hello? Hello? Tch, someone go and grab the key for me."

"I'm sorry for all of this Jaune," Cinder said, her face morphing into a regretful look. "I simply wanted to wish for you to get better. I'll be taking my leave now." Neo slowly lifted her hand off of Jaune's mouth, hopping off the bed and skipping towards the taller woman.

"Oh, before I go," Cinder snapped her fingers, a slow smile spreading on her face. "If it was ever the case that you actually were attempting to… acquire more strength, I would be happy to find someone to help you on that front. I admit that I know… quite a few people that would be glad to have someone like you on our side."

Like the first time he saw Cinder, he shivered, his mind telling him that there was something wrong about this whole situation.

"Is there something wrong here lady?" An older, grizzled voice echoed through the hallway outside.

"Well, the door is locked, and that's not allowed during visiting hours—"

"Uh huh. This Jaune's room? Tall, scrawny kid, blonde with blue eyes?"

Cinder glanced over at the door, frowning.

"It's getting quite loud out there. Which means that it's time for us to depart. Come, Neo." And without another word, they disappeared, like an illusion of the mind.

"—Yes, but I don't see how that—"

 _Crack!_

The door slammed open, the lock making a noise similar to a gunshot, a female's scream going off at almost the same time. Jaune was able to catch a glimpse of black slacks and pointed dress shoes, which disappeared back through the doorway, replaced with an old face.

"Heya Jaune. You okay in there?" Qrow asked conversationally, ignoring the nurse that stood there slack jawed.

"Uh…" Jaune's mind was spinning, trying to keep track of what had been happening in the past twenty minutes or so. The nurse finally snapped out of her frozen state of shock and glared at the grizzled man.

"I'm calling security." She threatened, chest puffing outwards. Qrow glanced down as she did so, before looking into her eyes, raising an eyebrow.

"Sure thing lady, you go ahead and do your thing." He said dismissively, stepping over the fallen door. The woman made a noise of outrage, storming through the hallway. Qrow glanced back in amusement before turning his attention towards the boy in bed. He lifted up his flask, grinning.

"You know, I was waiting patiently inside the bar for you before I got a text from my little niece that you were in the hospital." He took a swig and burped, laughing a little. "Sorry I started without you, waiting… isn't really my thing. D'you want some or—wait, that's a bad idea," He mumbled to himself, closing the flask. "'Mr. Bad decisions while drunk' probably shouldn't be getting any of this."

A surge of annoyance passed through Jaune, as well a bigger sense of gratefulness that Qrow wasn't going to pussyfoot around the blonde boy.

"Like you're the one to say anything." Jaune retorted, grinning at the older man, whose shoulders shook while he laughed

"You're not wrong there." Qrow said, moving over to Jaune's window, unlocking it and cracking it open. "Do you mind if I open the window? It's kind of stuffy here and I, uh, I'm gonna do it anyways." Before Jaune could answer, Qrow opened the window, inhaling deeply. "Ah, that's way better than hospital air. Still terrible, but I swear the stuff in the hospital just makes you feel worse."

"The air?" Jaune asked incredulously. The grizzled Hunter turned and raised an eyebrow.

"Well I wouldn't be talking about the nurses, would I—oh wait." Qrow scratched his scruff, muttering. "Maybe I would."

Jaune couldn't help but shake his head and laugh, not sure what else to do in front of the drunken man. Qrow staggered over to Jaune's bedside, plopping down on the stiff mattress.

"Look here kiddo. I'm not one to say this, but going and facing impossible odds aren't really something you should do." A pause. "Unless you're me." Qrow nodded, his face turning satisfied. "Top-notch advice from me, myself. Couldn't have said it better… myself." Qrow blinked, not sure what he was saying. Jaune did the same.

The man squinted at the confused boy, getting close and making Jaune wrinkle his nose, not appreciating the washed up alcohol smell coming from Qrow's breath. It was really cheap stuff too, maybe mixed in with a hint of—"

"Did you mix some of my spirits with cheap brandy?" Jaune asked, appalled at the possibility. Qrow made a noise, rolling his eyes.

"What? Me?" He asked, looking offended. "…'Course I did. I'm definitely not going to drink the tiny bottle that you gave me for my birthday in one go. No way, I gotta savor this."

"But cheap brandy? Really?" Jaune was offended. And a little disgusted. Qrow just shrugged, lifting his closed flask.

"Hey, this flask isn't my Atlas flask, it's my Vacuo flask. So yeah. Cheap brandy." Qrow opened the flask with drunken expertise and downed another gulp, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"…Do you really have a Atlas flask?" Jaune asked, amused by the thought. Qrow grinned, shaking his head.

"Not really. I just fill this one up with ol' James' whiskey and down it in one go in front of him. Which is close enough," Qrow said merrily, taking another swig. "Nothing gets the job done like yours though, that's for sure." Jaune chuckled, only stopping when the pain on his ribs was too much to bear. The room fell silent for a brief second before Jaune spoke up again.

"Well I'm glad someone in this room can take a drink without killing themselves." The joke was weak and fell flat under the sound of the hospital machinery beeping, reminding themselves of what had just happened a day—or rather, only a few hours ago.

A hand slapped Jaune's shoulder, making him wince and snapping him out of the downwards spiral that his thoughts were about to go down. Looking at Qrow, he found a comforting presence in the man's smirk.

"Don't let it get to you kid. Sometimes you do things without thinking it through." Qrow pointed at Jaune. "It wasn't your best decision, let's be honest here, but it's something you did." Qrow shrugged. "Nothing you can do about that now. Just make sure you learn from your mistakes, and remember that you aren't the only one that has to suffer the consequences of your own actions." Jaune nodded, knowing when and when not to take Qrow seriously. Of course, serious Qrow was ruined quickly when he nodded, leaning back and looking at his flask. "Now _that's_ some grade A advice. _Man_ , I am good." He said happily, congratulating himself with another drink. Jaune gave up trying to be serious and resumed laughing, happy that Qrow wasn't going to go totally 'adult mode' on him.

"But seriously," Qrow said, slurring the words enough that Jaune wasn't actually going to take him all that seriously. "You've learned your lesson though, haven't you?"

Jaune looked at the man sitting beside him. He was drunk, yes, but not as drunk as most people would've thought, and that made Jaune pause for a second on his answer.

"Yeah," The blonde boy finally answered, nodding thoughtfully. "I've learned a lesson." Jaune smirked at the man. "I've learned that I should leave the drinking to your drunken ass."

Qrow laughed hard, teeth flashing as he tilted his head back as he did so.

"That's always a good idea, kid." He replied, his smile full of teeth. There were footsteps echoing through the hallway outside, bringing both their attentions towards the doorway.

"Looks like that's my cue. I'll see you soon kid." Qrow said, standing up and brushing the dust off his dress pants. "Make sure not to die before I visit, alright?"

"He's in here!" Jaune turned to see the nurse accompanied by two security men. "Make sure he's—where'd he go?" Jaune turned back around to see that Qrow had disappeared, the window snapping shut, a crow's caw and a flap of wings the last thing he heard before all noise from outside faded away with a click of the window locking.

"Where'd he go?" The nurse repeated the question, demanding Jaune give her an answer.

He could only shrug, smiling helplessly as the nurse pulled at her hair in frustration, all the conversations he had today echoing inside of his mind, and bouncing on the inside of his heart.


	20. Barbed Tongue and Curious Gaze

**A/N: At this point in the story the timeline gets a little… wonky, but hopefully still believable. There's not much to say. Uh. I like pizza. Sometimes I can't help but spend money on things I don't need. potNpaN stands for Potatoes and Pancakes. This chapter was fun to write and emotionally charged. I think.**

 **Hope y'all enjoy :)**

 **Guest 1: Uh… huh.**

 **Guest 2:Short?! Short?! Literally my longest chapter ever XD**

 **Guest 3: Hahaha XD Yeah they do**

 **That guy: Thanks for the reviews! But, uh, could you, you know, try and keep it down to one review a chapter? XD**

* * *

Blake couldn't remember the last time she visited someone in the hospital. Actually, she might've never gone to the hospital before.

She stood outside of Jaune's room awkwardly holding a get well card, which she only got because she was sure that was something you were supposed to do when visiting a friend in the hospital. With a small sigh she got a little closer and raised a fist to knock on the door, only to notice that Jaune wasn't alone inside of the room. Her ears underneath her ever-present bow perked up a little and she picked up the last snatches of sound coming from inside.

"—I'm sorry Jaune, but I can't do it any longer. I hope you understand."

The voice was old and weary, but insistent. It took Blake a little while, but she recalled the image of the tiny old man that owned the bar Jaune worked at. What were they talking about?

"It's alright. I… understand." There had been a long pause between what Jaune had said and what the owner had said, and it only confirmed to Blake that they were talking about something sensitive, making her curiosity pique.

"Thank you. And… I'm sorry." Those were the last words that she heard when the door clicked open, revealing the old man standing there, surprised to see Blake standing in front of him.

"Oh! You must be visiting Jaune right now." He said kindly, smiling up to Blake. She nodded meekly.

"Yes sir."

The man nodded along thoughtfully, stroking the slight beard that he sported on his chin. "Hm. Yes. He needs a bit of company right now. Be a dear and make sure he's alright for me? I have some business due back at the bar that I can't leave off."

"Of course, sir, leave him to me." Blake answered, not minding seeing as how that was what she was planning anyways when she came here. The man's smile grew a franction and he leaned over to pat her shoulder.

"Such good friends." The man said quietly, before wandering off. "He needs someone to remind him of that."

Blake kept her eyes on the man until he rounded the corner, shoulders lowering with every step that the old man took. Without another distraction, Blake turned back towards Jaune's room, looking through find Jaune lying on the far end of the room, looking through one of the windows. At the angle that Blake was, she couldn't see his expression, but judging from his posture…

Blake had a little bit of experience at witnessing hurt, and right now Jaune was displaying an obvious case of it. Lightly she strode forward, the heels on her boots not making a sound as she found a spot to stand next to Jaune, her hands clasped behind her back as she waited for him to notice her.

It took longer than expected. Jaune stared out the window for a while, thinking about who-knows-what, and didn't move for so long Blake wasn't sure if this was actually a mannequin of the bartender instead of the actual person. It was only when Jaune sighed and his fist gently hit the bed covers that Blake was reassured of that question, the bedridden boy very much alive.

He turned and looked at Blake, jerking backwards in surprise, his heart monitor spiking up in response to the surge of adrenaline. The cat faunus winced, not meaning to scare the boy.

"Sorry." She said quietly, taking a step back. Jaune clutched at his chest and heaved a breath, before forcing out a little laugh, waving away the apology.

"No it's fine. Should've realized that you were there." Jaune smiled, his lips curving upwards slowly. "Thanks for taking your time to visit me."

"It was my pleasure." Blake said quickly, more out of politeness than anything else. She hesitated before pulling out the get well card, which had a picture of a cat hanging off of a branch in a cute manner, with the words 'Hang in There!' written on the bottom. She handed it to Jaune, who took the card gingerly. "My, uh, team wanted to give you this." Jaune thanked her and opened the card, his eyes scanning through the contents of the personally handwritten letters that Blake's team had wrote inside, his face shining with happiness. His eyes stopped scanning for a second and an eyebrow raised up in amusement, lips quirking as he looked up at Blake.

"Well it was nice knowing that they had attached a present to the card." Jaune said, chuckling. Blake didn't know about any gift, and blinked in confusion, not sure what Jaune meant.

"They did?"

The blonde nodded, turning to show Blake the card, pointing to a specific sentence that Yang had written in.

"I hope you enjoy your very own cat, the one on the picture… and the one in real life." Blake closed her eyes, pinching the bridge between her eyes. "Yang." She said the word like it was a curse, shaking her head. It only made Jaune laugh a little louder, only cutting it off when he started to cough, wincing in pain every time he did so. Blake put a hand on his shoulder, not sure what to do in this situation, hoping that Jaune wasn't going to suddenly cough up blood or something while she was there.

"I'm—I'm alright, I'm alright." Jaune reassured, even though Blake hadn't said anything. "Man, these coughs are _really_ getting on my nerves."

"At least it means that you're still here." Blake retorted, before freezing and internally slapping herself for bringing up such a touchy subject. Jaune didn't say anything though, not really reacting much except for his eyes turning a little sadder, his smile shrinking by a few degrees.

"Yeah," Jaune agreed, eyes falling to his hands. "At least I'm still here."

The two of them fell silent, neither knowing how to carry on the conversation. Blake scrambled to try and find something to say, and failed miserably, her ears flattening under the bow as she wished she could just turn around and leave, except for the fact that it would only make things even worse. And she had already promised the old man that she wouldn't leave Jaune alone right now.

"So, you guys ready for your first mission yet?"

Jaune was the first one to try and cut through the tension, asking a relatively harmless question. He had already heard from Weiss and Yang about how there was going to be a mission a few days after their dance, and he _was_ genuinely curious about how it was going to go. Blake sighed in relief, glad to have something to talk about, which was a first for her.

"We're going to be going off to the southwest border to investigate something about the Grimm." Blake answered, hands moving as she explained. "We don't know who our Huntsman is going to be, but…" She shrugged, "I don't think I would particularly mind. After all, a Huntsman is a Huntsman."

Jaune nodded. "Yeah, they're all pretty badass in their own way, right? I mean, look at you guys. Already super cool and not even full Huntresses yet." Blake smiled at his compliment and thanked him. Eager to continue with the conversation, Blake decided to ask a question back.

"So what was you and your boss talking about?"

Blake only had time to see Jaune's eyes widen before he bowed his head, a hand scratching the back of his neck. He let out a little laugh before looking back up, a careful mask set over his face.

"How much did you hear?"

The cat faunus shook her head, her bow flapping around and following the motion. "Only the last few words. Not much."

The bartender shifted uncomfortably, his lips twitching as if he didn't want to smile, yet forced himself to do so all the same. He coughed a little into one hand, closing his eyes briefly in pain.

"So," Jaune started to talk, and his voice went incredibly low, where Blake had to focus on his words to understand what he was saying. "My boss. He… thinks that it would be best if- if I didn't work behind the counter. For my best interests."

Blake stood there, blinking at Jaune.

"He fired you?" Blake said in disbelief, piecing everything together.

"No, he's not firing me!" Jaune said quickly, shaking his head. "He, uh. He suggested that I work the tables for a little while. Until… well, until I get…. Better." Jaune finished lamely, eyes not meeting the Blake's. That didn't sound as bad, but still made the girl frown. She crossed her arms and one of her ears twitched under her bow in irritation.

"So he's demoting you."

"Well I'm still getting paid the same," Jaune protested, "which is _way_ better than what he could've done to me so… I have to be thankful for that." Jaune shrugged, trying to play it off as if he didn't care all that much. It wasn't a very good act, seeing how tightly Jaune's hands gripped the bed sheets, and how Jaune steadfastly refused to look at Blake in the eyes.

The quiet girl didn't know what to say. Dust, she didn't even know what to think. She knew that Jaune loved his job. Even when he acted strangely, even when he wasn't in his brightest moods, it was obvious that he loved what he did. Every time he made a drink for someone, there was a care in what he did, a perfection that could only be reached by someone who truly cared about how they made their drinks. Every time one of his customers sighed in happiness, or closed their eyes in appreciation, Jaune's smile only grew and he stood a little straighter.

And now, after he lost so much, he was going to lose something else that he loved?

Blake wasn't sure how Jaune could take it.

It wasn't her business, yet she still felt like she wanted to get angry for him, go and find the owner and demand him let Jaune work behind the bar again. One part of her wanted to do something like that. The other part of her…

The other part of her knew that it was the right decision to make.

Jaune had almost lost his life because of his… habit, and Blake had a feeling that alcohol didn't help deter the bartender for making a decision like that. Jaune staying dry was a good thing, and doing that meant cutting him off of the easiest means for him to acquire such beverages. It hurt in the short run, but it would help in the long run.

But that didn't mean Blake had to like seeing Jaune hurting so much.

And when her teammates caught wind of the news…

She didn't even want to imagine how they would react, what they would do to try and cheer Jaune up. They always meant well, but she knew that they wouldn't think it through, that they would do something that would ultimately hurt Jaune. Sure, Weiss might be able to logically think it through and accept it, but if she found out at the same time as Ruby and Yang, Blake couldn't trust that Weiss wouldn't be swept away by the emotions and act rashly.

It didn't take much longer for Blake to decide that she would hold off on telling her team about the news.

Jaune watched Blake the entire time she went through everything in her mind, and smiled sadly as he saw what conclusion she had come to. He had decided to do the same thing, after agonizing about the choice for a little while.

It was the best choice, even if Jaune didn't have to like it.

Blake sighed, shaking her head again. "Yang was looking forward to having a victory strawberry sunrise after our mission."

The commend wasn't meant to be barbed, but still pierced Jaune's heart, making him wince.

"Y-yeah. She might have to wait a little longer than that." Jaune snorted in amusement as a thought presented itself to him. "At least Weiss won't have to worry about getting a bad mix from me again."

"Weiss—" Blake stopped herself from raising her voice, taking a slow breath. "Weiss doesn't mean that. She loves your drinks."

The boy looked at her with sad eyes, his smile sadder and sadder as time went by.

"I know." Jaune looked away quickly, hands moving in an uncertain manner, mouth opening to say something… before closing again, his expression turning a little sheepish.

"So… how was the dance?" The question was awkward, pulled out of the blue, but it helped progress the conversation, something that Blake was glad for.

"It was nice." She answered. "It was a success in Yang and Weiss's eyes at least. Yang even got Ruby to dance." Jaune cocked an eyebrow, surprised.

"Really?"

The faunus chuckled, nodding. "It wasn't very good, but she did it. We had a good time." Blake murmured, the small smile lingering on her face. It was nice to see, and Jaune mirrored her expression, her mood infectious.

"How about yourself?" Blake's bow perked up a little, a silent question on her face. "You talked about your teammates, but how about you? Did you go to the dance with anyone?" The way Jaune asked the question made Blake's eyes narrow a little, a suspicious thought popping into her mind.

"You encouraged Sun to ask me to the dance, didn't you?"

The blonde didn't deny it, smiling as he asked, "You had fun, didn't you?" Blake crossed her arms, an amused smile on her face.

"I guess. Until you…" Blake stopped talking, accidentally tripping over the subject they had so meticulously tried to avoid. "Sorry." She said weakly, berating herself mentally for such a mistake. She usually wasn't one that usually had slips of the tongue, which made the mistake much more glaring. Jaune interrupted her thoughts by reaching over and patting her hand, smiling reassuringly at her.

"It's alright." There was a grin. "For the record, I'm sorry for interrupting your date. Hopefully he'll make up for it next time."

Blake made a doubtful noise, her hair fluttering as she shook her head. "It wasn't a date. And I doubt there's going to be a next time." Jaune didn't have to ask why not, seeing her glare at him. He wasn't so oblivious not to realize what she meant.

"It wasn't their fault, you know that right? It was my fault for choosing to… to fall back into the habit."

Blake's glare didn't let up. In fact, Jaune felt it get a little sharper, her fists bunching up. "They shouldn't have put that decision on an minor in the first place!"

"They meant well." Jaune defended, to Blake's growing exasperation.

"Meaning well and doing wrong aren't wholly separate Jaune." The way she said that sounded familiar. Looking at her face, Jaune could see the pain in her eyes. Her words didn't feel like her own, as if she was repeating something that someone else had said. Then again, knowing how obsessive Blake could be with dealing justice and protecting her friends, it made sense that she might've heard those exact same words before.

"You can't blame them for trying their best." Jaune repeated stubbornly. "If they knew about… my problems, they wouldn't have done the same. If you're going to get mad at anyone, get mad at me for drinking when I knew I shouldn't have." His words were firm and insistent, eyes sharp. Blake's were the same, and neither of them willing to back down.

"You make it sound like I'm not mad at you either," Blake finally tore her gaze away from the boy, shaking her head. "You of all people should know better." Better than to consume alcohol? Fall back into an unhealthy vice? Go out randomly and try and get oneself killed? Yeah, he knew better. That didn't mean it was required of him to make that choice.

Jaune shrunk down a little bit, closing his eyes as his body started to flare up in pain again. It was short, but extremely debilitating, and didn't allow for him to speak or move for a few seconds, his body paralyzed until the pain stopped, Jaune drawing out a ragged breath. Who knew lying in bed could be more exhausting than walking about, Jaune thought in grim humor.

"Do you need me to call a doctor?"

Of course Blake noticed what was practically a seizure from where she was standing. She was the last person Jaune would consider blind after all. Not trusting himself to speak, Jaune shook his head, using those precious few seconds to make sure that his vocal cords wouldn't betray him.

"I'm fine," Jaune finally said, knowing that neither of them believed what he said, but saying so anyways. "I just… I probably just need to relax a bit more. Maybe if you forgave Sun and Neptune, I'd have an easier time relaxing," Jaune added in, half joking. A dark eyebrow rose up, her face unamused. Jaune kept an innocent smile on his face, even fluttering his eyelashes a bit to sell the effect.

"Well, you can't be too bad if you're still able to joke around like that," Blake muttered, exasperated by how lightly Jaune was taking his own health. There was a pause before she talked again, her tone tight and resigned. "But I guess if it does make you feel better," Blake sighed, lips pursed in a thin line, "I'll… _talk_ with Sun and Neptune. But no promises." She added fiercely.

"That's all I ask for." Jaune relented, happy that he got even that much out of someone who was usually so stubborn.

With another topic moving past the point of conclusion, the two of them went quiet again. This time however, Blake had something that she wanted to talk about, but just wasn't sure how to ask it. It took a while, Jaune not really in a chatty mood, trying to recover some of his strength, and Blake simply over thinking things.

"Jaune," Blake said, the boy turning to look at her. "You… said that you had wanted to be a Hunter before, didn't you?" The blonde nodded. Again the cat faunus paused, still not capable of saying what she wanted in the correct manner. "Do you—do you know why you were rejected from Beacon?"

A frown appeared on his face, his visage making it obvious that he didn't really want to talk about this. It got to the point where Blake almost decided to backtrack and find something else to talk about, before Jaune decided to speak up.

"I don't really know. You don't really get a list of criteria to check off when you're applying to an academy, you know?" Jaune chuckled. "I mean, it wasn't as if I would get many checks off of that list anyways, right?" He counted off his fingers. "Can't fight Grimm, not much of a role model, runs away from everything, get motion sickness…" Jaune shrugged, putting his hands back down on his lap. "I mean, the list goes on."

"You get motion sickness?" It was the first thing that stuck in her mind.

Jaune snorted, nodding. "Trust me, it's real bad. I'd almost prefer fighting a Beowulf again over going on an airship. I'd actually come out a little better too, I think." He added thoughtfully, actually going through it in his mind. It was strange to see him think of something so life-threatening and compare it to something as harmless as flying on a ship. Given, Grimm could sometimes attack those ships, and there were malfunctions that could spell doom for the passengers, but to compare it to almost dying, that—

No, she was getting distracted.

"Never mind that," Blake said, shaking her head at herself, remembering what she wanted to ask him about. "You're not as bad as you think, Jaune." She said firmly. The boy raised an eyebrow.

"'Not as bad as you think you are'." He quirked his lips, half amused, half confused. "I'm not sure if that was a compliment or not."

"It was. It is." Blake cursed at herself, getting tired of getting run around by someone like Jaune. "What I meant was," She breathed in, closing her eyes. "You're more than qualified to be a Hunter."

Opening her eyes revealing a Jaune that wasn't pleasantly surprised at what she said, or even happy at the compliment. The Jaune that she received had hard eyes and a bitter smile, fists bunched up around the bed sheets that he lay in.

"I don't need any fake compliments Blake. I know exactly how useful I would be as a Hunter. I've got proof of it right here." The boy spread his hands out wide, gesturing to the whole of his body. "You'll have to be a better liar than that to convince me otherwise."

"No, that's not it." Blake held out an open palm, stopping Jaune from saying anything else. "That's not what I mean." Frustration was settling in as she wished she was better at cheering people up than this. _Ruby could've done this in her sleep_ , Blake thought to herself. "What I meant was… that you have the... heart of a Hunter." It was a terribly clichéd sounding phrase, something she wouldn't have found in any of her _well-written_ books, but it was an apt description for the boy. "You're not a coward. You're brave. I can't think of anyone else who would willingly go and fight Grimm without any experience and no Aura. Even I wouldn't be able to do something like that."

"That's because you would actually think things through." Jaune retorted.

"Shut up." Blake snapped, tired of the boy interrupting her just to put himself down. She had enough of the self-pity that he was wallowing in, and she would find a way to drag him out, whether he wanted to or not. "You need to stop talking about how bad you are, because you probably have the most inaccurate perception of yourself out of everybody you know!"

"Th- that doesn't even make any sense!" Jaune protested, Blake happy that she wasn't the one being thrown off guard for once.

"It makes perfect sense, now be quiet!" Blake pointed a threatening finger at him, making Jaune's jaw snap shut. She waited to see if he would say anything else before continuing on.

"If I went out now and asked all of your friends what they think about you… and then compared them to what you think about you, we'd find that the two descriptions are nothing alike." She scowled and prodded a finger into his shoulder. "And could you give me a reason why that's the case?"

"Because you guys don't know everything about me—" A long black ribbon wrapped itself around his mouth, gagging him before he could finish his sentence. He let out an indignant noise, which Blake ignored happily as she continued to talk.

"The reason is because you think of yourself in the worst of ways. And I'm not saying that's a hundred percent your fault." Blake paused, closing her eyes as she remembered the things that she had done in the past. "Everyone's critical of their own mistakes. Everyone puts themselves down because of the things they did wrong. No one except you is going to know everything that you've mess up, but that _doesn't matter_." Blake shook her head again, for what was probably the six hundredth time. "Your mistakes aren't as bad as you think they are, _even_ ," Blake glared at Jaune as glared at her, wanting to point out some of his dire mistakes, "even the ones that feel like they're terrible." For someone who wasn't in critical condition, Blake already felt wearier than Jaune did. "Your self-esteem warps your perception of yourself. It makes you see something different when you look in the mirror. The people who're your friends, the people you confide in and talk with? We don't have that trashed-up filter over our eyes." Blake shrugged. "Sure, we might have a different kind of bias… but I think if we put together a dozen or more of your friends and ask them what they think of you… you'd find a much more accurate description than the one you give yourself."

Jaune hadn't said a word as Blake lectured him. She was pointing out his obvious flaws, telling him how wrong he was about himself, which seemed preposterous. But with every stern glare that she sent him, every repetitive word where she described how he was wrong… his chest tightened, and not because of any sort of pain. When the ribbon loosened enough for Jaune to speak, he kept his head down, hair covering his eyes.

"…Do you really think that… that I've got a heart of a Hunter?" He asked quietly, voice shaky. Blake was glad that he wasn't looking at her as she nodded, a small blush appearing on her face.

"It's… a little cheesy, and if I had the time to put it in any other way, I would. But yes. I think you do."

Jaune shut his eyes tight, shaking in relief. "Okay then."

The girl beside him opened her mouth, and closed it again, before opening her mouth once more. "You know… You don't have to go to an academy to be a Hunter."

The bartender raised his head, a quizzical look on his face. "What do you mean?" There was uncertainty written clearly across her face, and Blake's body language resembled a cat that was ready to bolt, clearly not wanting to take a bath.

"I mean…" Blake wasn't sure if she thought what she was going to say was a good idea, but said it anyways. "I could unlock your Aura. And I could help you train. All— all of Team RWBY, and probably a few others would be glad to help you learn how to… to protect."

There was a pregnant pause, the tension in the air thicker than porridge, so thick that Blake swore she had a little trouble breathing. When Jaune didn't say anything, she kept talking, a bad habit that she probably picked up from her leader.

"I mean, yeah, it's frowned on for me to unlock a civilian's aura, but I know that you're a hard worker, and it wouldn't take long to show everyone that you're Hunter material. We could go on the weekends with my team out hunting to give you some experience, and—"

"Thank you, Blake."

The black-haired girl cut herself off mid-sentence, looking at the unmoving Jaune. Blond hair fell back as his head raised upwards, his eyes finally meeting hers. The smile on his face was… genuine, for once, and that alone was enough to stun Blake into the silence that she had found herself in.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do." Jaune continued, his eyes going down to his hands again, "And a part of me really, _really_ wants to be a Hunter still." His thumbs went over and under each other, Blake's eyes drawn to the only movement inside of the room. "But… I don't think I deserve that chance yet. Hear me out," Jaune stopped Blake this time, holding out a hand to ask for a little more silence from the girl. "I know what you guys think of me. And it's… amazing, to have so many people believe in me this much. I… want to believe you. I want to believe that I'm this great guy that can help." Jaune's body was shaking for an entirely different reason now. "But I can't. Not yet." It was obvious that was what Jaune had been working towards saying, but it still made Blake's heart ache a little, seeing how hurt and helpless the blonde in front of her was.

"But you know what? This time it's different." Jaune whispered, almost talking to himself more than he was talking to her. "I have… I have friends that are willing to support me, and I'm not- I'm not alone. I'm _not_." Jaune's eyelids shuttered, and a tear was able to escape. "I'm going to- to need help. A lot of it." He laughed a little before continuing. "But I want…" Jaune stopped talking, his chest rising and falling rapidly. When he looked up, Blake couldn't help but take a step back, seeing how much desperation and pure hope was reflected in his eyes.

"I want to _change_." His voice cracked with emotion, as one more tear, and another, and another followed the first one, his hand reaching out to grab hers.

She didn't pull away.

"Please… help me." His knees pulled forward, as if his body wanted to curl up into a fetal position, as if he wanted to shut himself out after opening himself up so much. Blake couldn't help herself. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around him, and for once, hugging someone didn't feel all that uncomfortable. It felt warm.

"Of course I'll help you." Blake murmured. "And I can speak for my team that everyone there would do the same." She squeezed him tightly. "I promise."

The hurt and lonely boy tightened her grip on her, burying his head into her shoulder.

"Thank you." Jaune choked out. "Thank you."

The two of them stayed like that, Blake not sure if she was really comforting him, but holding on anyways, wanting to make this feeling last for as long as possible. She had always considered him a good friend. When she first met him, she found a person who was actually willing to simply not pry into her life. When she felt miserable, he would ask if she was alright, and when she said that she was fine… he left her alone.

After he made her a drink that felt like warmth and comfort.

Something about Jaune made her trust in him. He had this openness to him, but also an air of mystery around him. He was like a good friend that you could whine about, but also trust in never telling a soul. There was something about the way he carried himself, a subtle pain and a mask to hide away his feelings that reached out to her, reminded her of herself.

Jaune was the second person Blake told about her heritage, after she revealed what she was to her whole team. And there was no judgment. There was acceptance, and a brief quip of advice that stayed in her mind even to this day.

 _I know it's hard to trust people, especially after your lifestyle and the way that you've had to live, but… believe in yourself. Believe in both humanity and faunuskind. Believe in good. You'll find yourself surprised to see where it pops up._

And she was surprised. She found good in humans like Cardin, who seemed to radically change one day, repenting for what he had done wrong, personally apologizing to the people he had bullied. She found good in a Schnee, just when she thought that all of them were evil and manipulative, only out to make as much profit as they could capture.

She found good in a lonely bartender, who went out of his way to welcome her even when she had been inhospitable and downright rude to him the first time she had come there, shoved in by her grinning partner.

And now it was his turn to face the truth, to see the good in people, and dust, she was going to do it. Even if she had to grab everyone Jaune's affected and tie them up to bring them to him, she would do it.

Because he deserves to believe in Good.

When Jaune shifted to pull back, Blake quickly let go, smiling at the hesitant boy.

"Sorry about… all of this. I guess the drugs they're putting me on 're making me a little weepy." The blonde boy scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, turning away to hide the blush on his face. "You can- you can ignore what I just said a minute ago. If you want."

Blake crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, and Jaune could feel it even if he wasn't looking at her. "You must think me crazy if you think I'm going to ignore something like that." The red on his face slowly migrated quickly, his neck almost reaching the same shade as well. "Besides, I'm getting tired of seeing you all dark and gloomy. It doesn't suit you."

The jovial face that Blake was used to seeing when she walked into Jaune's bar returned, the smallest spark of mischief flashing in his eyes.

"Says the girl who only knows how to wear white and black." He teased, a smirk spreading on his face. Blake scoffed, tossing her hair.

"It's matches my bow." She retorted, smiling back at him. The boy laughed loudly, happy to discover that his ribs didn't seem to stop him either.

"I'm sure it does." He said, blinking back happy tears. "I'm sure it does."


	21. The First Step

**A/N: This one took me a little longer than most. Couldn't exactly get it to work right but... Let me know what y'all think about it! Hope y'all enjoy. On that note, I was reading through** **latest chapter for Myareska's _Just a Few Pointers_ and realized that blonde and blond are different. Which is... uh, unexpected for me. I'm gonna try and get that straightened out starting next chapter. Hopefully. So when you see that change next week... yeah. That's what happened. XD **

**Reader: That damned plot armor. Strongest thing in the universe I tell you. And that's one of the reasons** _ **why**_ **that's the title name :P**

 **That guy: I'm just saying that maybe you could put everything you want to say into one review so that I wouldn't have to worry if I was talking to one guy or three XD I appreciate your reviews, I do, it's just... a lot XD And I also don't really want to bloat my reviews full of meaningless numbers. I'm not writing to generate traffic, even if it** _ **is**_ **a nice side benefit. :)**

* * *

"Hey man, quick question..."

Jaune stifled a sigh that threatened to escape his lips, closing his eyes so that he would accidentally glare at the boy standing sheepishly in behind him. Composing himself, Jaune turned and made sure to keep his smile on his face.

"Did you need something?" The blonde asked politely, channeling a certain red-haired celebrity that visited him frequently. The other boy, decked out in a slightly rumpled vest and tie that was slightly askew, chuckled, spreading out his hands.

"Actually, I'm kind of lost on how to make this again. Did you say put the lemon in first or the strawberry syrup?" Jaune's hands twitched, trying to pinch the sides of his nose, but the boy was able to restrain himself. He still let out a sigh though, justified as this was probably the fourth or fifth time that Jaune's had to walk him through this.

"There's no lemon juice in a strawberry sunrise. You use orange juice, preferably fresh, and then you put in the creme de fraises." A confused look was all Jaune got, causing him to rephrase. "The thing that smells fruity with the frenchy sounding label." He said tiredly. Almost immediately the bartender-in-training grabbed the bottle of liquor.

"Oh you mean this thing." He said, waving it around, the contents of the bottle sloshing around as he did so. Jaune quickly reached over and grabbed the boy's hand, stopping it's motion.

"Yes." Jaune gritted out carefully. "I mean that thing." With a firm grip, Jaune made sure that the red-haired boy lowered the bottle down slowly, before pointing at something else. "Afterwards, you put in the... strawberry syrup and you're done." Jaune finger clicked against the wooden table he had been cleaning. "It's. Simple."

The boy snorted and nodded. "For you maybe." He waved a hand and turned around, sloppily pouring out the amounts. "Ah, I'm sure I'll get the hang of this sooner or later." Finishing the drink, the stylish boy turned around and showed Jaune the drink, which was a muted red that didn't have the signature sunrise effect that it was named after. "How'd I do?"

Jaune pretty much gave up at that point. "It'll... it'll work." Again with another sigh, Jaune grabbed the drink and the dozens of empty glasses sitting along the railing. "Try and remember the orders please. We'll continue working on them tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Training's over?" The boy looked at a nearby clock, brow furrowing in confusion. "It's only like, three in the afternoon. "

"Yeah, but you've got a lot to try to learn and absorb." _Clearly_ , Jaune wanted to add, fingers already aching at the thought of having to clean up the mess that the boy had made. "Just get some rest, and we'll finish up your training next time." _Hopefully_.

The boy beamed, presumably thinking that he had done an adequate job, and stuck out his hand, shaking Jaune's before taking off the best and loosening the tie, breathing a sigh of relief. "Whew. This thing _sucks_ you know? I don't know why anyone would enjoy being strangled by a piece of cloth the whole day. See you tomorrow!" The boy waved and exited the bar.

After making sure that he had left, Jaune dropped his pleasant act, his lips almost forming a pout. A hand rubbed around his neck, the ever-present weight of a necktie missing. "I like the feeling." Jaune muttered childishly, before letting out a tired breath and organizing the mess that the bartender-to-be had left behind. He even left behind his name tag, something that was generally supposed to be stuck on his vest in the first place.

 _Scarlet David_ , it read in bold letters, Jaune opening one of the many drawers behind the counter and placing it in there. He gave another mournful look at the glasses and bottles that were strewn across the tables and felt his mood plummeting even lower, his feet trudging forwards as he prepared the clean the place up.

The cleaning was grueling, and this time there wasn't even the comfort of anyone else's company, nor the consolation that he was the one who had made the mess. It took him almost a full hour just to clean up about half of what was spilled, stained, and poured out. Deciding to take a short break before he kept going, Jaune sat down on one of the bar chairs, grabbing a glass of water.

The taste was... lacking, to be honest. While it kept his throat and body hydrated, his mind kept nudging him, telling him that he should have something stronger. There was a quick glance at the liquor bottles that stood on the shelves, mocking him, whispering to him. With a small shake of his head, Jaune stood up and went behind the counter, putting his empty glass under one of the taps.

"Jaune?"

The sudden use of his name made him jerk in surprise, the rapidly filling glass actually tipping over a bit and splashing onto the table, making Jaune whine a little bit, knowing that he had something else to clean up later too. Glancing up irritably at whoever decided to barge in when the bar was _clearly_ closed, Jaune was met face to face with an irate bunny.

"Jaune, what are you doing?" Velvet reached over quickly and grabbed the glass that Jaune had been holding, pulling it towards her. "Didn't you just get out of the hospital after a bad incident with alcohol? Are you already so idiotic that you're going to fall into the bad happen already?" She shook her head wildly, making her ears flap hypnotically. "You know, I expected for you to at least last a week before you went back to this... this... distasteful habit!"

Jaune looked at her with wide eyes, never seeing her look so angry before. The most emotion he had ever seen on her before was maybe a mildly irritated when carrying an absolutely hammered Coco, so it threw him off guard. Velvet was almost using her yelling voice too, so Jaune knew it was serious business.

"Well?" Velvet said, ending her small rant and glaring at the boy. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Jaune couldn't help himself. The peculiarity of Velvet's sudden anger and the exhaustion in his mind overwhelmed him, and he couldn't help but start laughing, shoulders shaking with mirth as he did so.

"You think- You think this is funny to you?!" Velvet grit her teeth, grip tightening. "Maybe I need to remind you of how _distraught_ some of us were! I might not have been able to visit you in the hospital, but that does _not_ mean that I want to see you there after you've gotten out!"

"Wait, wait!" Jaune said, trying to control his laughter. The boy shook his head, his hand still gripped onto the glass.

"What?!"

"It's not alcohol!"

Velvet opened her mouth to deliver another angry tirade before the words sunk in, her lips closing again. She blinked rapidly at what Jaune had said, turning to look at the glass in his hand. "It's not?"

Jaune still couldn't quite control the giggles that were bursting through, but managed to shake his head, a wide smile on his face. "No. Smell it." Without another word Velvet took a sniff, ears perking up as she could detect a hint of a signature lemon-lime soda, and nothing else mixed into it. To clear up all doubts, the bunny faunus even took her other hand and dipped a finger into the liquid, sampling it and finding exactly what she had expected: lemon-lime soda.

"Oh." Velvet's face turned cherry red, before realizing she was still holding onto his arm and letting go quickly, squeaking out a small sorry. Jaune raised an eyebrow, amused at the display. He lifted the drink up to his lips and took a draft, licking his lips as a mischievous air took him.

"So. Only thought I could last for a week, huh?"

Velvet covered her blushing face, shaking her head. "Sorry." She said again, muffled over her hands. If it was anyone else, Jaune would have probably continued to tease her, but the faunus was one of the nicest people he knew, and couldn't handle teasing very well. Jaune tapped her shoulder to see her fingers open, her eyes looking at him. He didn't say anything, just smiling comfortingly, telling her silently that it was alright. The girl sighed and lowered her hands, shaking her head.

"I shouldn't have said that Jaune. I apologize for... implying that I had little faith in you." Jaune laughed and waved away the apology, gesturing for her to sit down as he pulled a chair out from the table, waiting for her to sit in it.

"It's really alright Velvet. I can see how bad it looked when you walked in, and I don't blame you for what you would say in the heat of the moment." He leaned over as Velvet sat in her seat, whispering in her ear. "And to be honest, I don't have all that much faith in me either." Velvet didn't say anything to that, just watching the blonde as he walked to the other side of the table and pulled another chair out, making himself comfortable.

"Y-you don't?" After making sure that her embarrassment was under control, Velvet slid the seat under her a little closer, sitting properly in the chair. Jaune's expression closed a little, the smile shrinking but not going away completely.

"I… don't have very good self-control." Jaune confessed, shrugging. "It's something I'm trying to accept." Velvet could see the clear frustration on the bartender- the waiter's face.

"It's not that bad.." Velvet winced, knowing how unconvincing she sounded. The blonde knew as well, but appreciated the attempt, nodding in thanks at her.

"Anyways," Jaune said, getting out of the chair, snapping his fingers as he remembered that Velvet was a customer. "You didn't come here just to chat with me. Anything you'd like to eat? Maybe something to drink? I can't serve you anything alcoholic 'cause there's no bartender, but anything else is fine."

Velvet's ears twitched at the mention of food and drink, a tentative look on her face as she went to order. "Can I just have a garden salad and a soda?"

"Of course," Jaune answered, grinning at the girl. "What kind of soda?"

"Cherry, if you have it."

The boy nodded, heading towards the kitchen to prepare Velvet's salad. "I'm sure we've got some lying around somewhere." Jaune called back as he disappeared into the back of the bar.

As the blonde waiter stepped into the kitchen, he was assaulted by the smell of various foods cooking, getting ready for the night rush that happened during the weekdays as people got out of work. His eyes glanced up to the clock hanging above one of the sinks, showing the time. A light frown played across his face, wondering where the stand-in bartender was.

After being demoted, the owner of the bar had to find someone to stand-in for Jaune, at least until Scarlet could be properly trained. Jaune hadn't met the person yet, but whoever it was, Jaune already drew a bad impression of them, seeing as how they were late on their first day.

Putting that thought out of his mind, Juane walked towards the greens section of the kitchen, pulling out various veggies and some croutons, placing them on the kitchen top before staring at the bundle that he had gathered.

 _Salad, peppers, onion… is there something else I'm missing?_ Jaune wracked his brain over and over, trying to remember the recipe for a garden salad, and drew up a blank. Closing his eyes, Jaune tried to recreate the recipe again, thinking about all the ingredients step-by-step.

 _You get the salad… you get the onion and peppers with… with tomatoes? Right? Or was it cucumbers? Or was it both?_ Jaune's hands curled up into fists as he bit his lip, angry at himself for being unable to recreate such a simple dish. _What kind of dressing am I supposed to be using for this?_

Jaune's head had already been in protest since early morning when he was attempting to train the red-haired bartender-to-be on how to mix and serve drinks. The pounding only grew worse as the day grew longer, and at this point it was almost unbearable, the pain so bad that simply moving his head too quickly caused spikes of pain. He wasn't sure where all of it was coming from either, sure that some of the spikes of pain originated around his throat and jaw.

"I can't do this." Jaune muttered to himself, squeezing his eyes shut. Bartender wasn't this hard. Drinks were easy to make, the portions were something Jaune could pull up with a thought, new mixes were simple and logical. Why was it that he could create the most complex of drinks without a second thought, but couldn't make a blasted simple garden salad?

Without thinking Jaune slammed his fist onto the tabletop, the sound drowning out the whispered curse that he said. Burying his head in his hands, Jaune let out a quiet sigh, wanting to curl up into a ball and go to sleep. At least that way people wouldn't have to worry about him drinking on the job or messing up how to make salads.

He ignored the creaking of the kitchen doors as he sat on the floor, not caring how sticky some patches of the ground was, simply wanting to be left alone for a little while. He didn't get his wish though, a pair of warm hands touching both of his shoulders, the person next to him not saying a word as they did so.

"…I'm okay." Jaune said before Velvet could say anything to him. His words were muffled by his hands, but luckily the faunus had better hearing than most. One of Velvet's thumbs stroked the crouched boy's shoulders, trying to comfort him.

"It doesn't really look like you're okay," The brown-haired girl pointed out, her voice as low as his. When Jaune didn't say anything, Velvet continued, asking, "Do you want to talk about it?"

The question seemed to make Juane's shoulders stiffen a little. He wanted to tell the girl no. He wanted to shove her aside and shake his head and deny that he was hurt or angry. A few days back that's what he would've done. A few days back, he'd have said that everything's fine, push her away, and when no one was watching him, find comfort in the bottom of a bottle.

But he couldn't do that anymore. His mind, as insidious as it was, also reminded him of the conversations that he had in the hospital. Reminded him that people actually cared about him, so maybe it was time to show them that he cared about them too.

"I… I'd like to try." Jaune answered quietly, slowly lowering his hands from his face. The look on Velvet's face was hopeful, although she tried to hide it under a calm veneer. Parts of it broke out across her face though, a small, encouraging smile on her face.

"I'll listen to it Jaune. Trust me."

The boy drew a deep breath, looking at her. "I will."

The two of them went back out of the kitchen, Velvet's order forgotten as they settled down, the girl listening intently on what had been happening the last few days, and how he's been feeling about everything recently. She was a perfect listener, engaged, but not interrupting, only talking when she was sure that Jaune had finished a segment, asking questions that not only helped clear up some of her confusion, but some of his own doubts.

"I get frustrated a lot more easily than I thought I would, you know?" Jaune lounged across the seat, a finger playing with one of the unwrapped cutlery sets laid out on the table. "I would've thought that dealing with seven sisters was enough for me to have the patience of a saint." The blonde made a noise in the back of his throat. "Some saint I am." Velvet sat comfortable on the other side of him, hands weaved together as she listened to his griping.

"Patience is a hard thing to master," She said, grabbing one of the unfolded napkins beside her and helping Jaune out with folding the sets. "There aren't many people who can control themselves as much as they like. And most of them can only exert patience in a certain aspect in their life." Velvets ears swayed in the direction of her shaking head. "No one can be perfectly patient with everything that happens to them. You just have to figure out when or when not to wait for something."

Jaune eyed the girl, sitting there serenely, calmly helping out in ways that she shouldn't even have to.

"You don't have to fold those you know." Jaune said, pointing to the forks and spoons on the table. "I can do them later." She nodded, but her hands didn't stop.

"I know." She said simply, continuing to fold them up. Jaune sighed and reached out, grabbing a napkin to help her out, even though it was his responsibility to do them.

"You seem to have a lot of patience." Jaune commented. Velvet glanced up at him, a sly look on her face.

"Oh?"

Jaune nodded, continuing. "Yeah. I don't think I've ever seen you snap at anyone… besides me that is." He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. Velvet didn't change her look, humming thoughtfully.

"You don't see me very often though, so it's not like you could make a very accurate statement."

"Well…" Jaune said uncertainly, tapping his chin. "You look like that type of girl at least."

The brown haired girl raised a displeased eyebrow, folding her arms. "That's a little racist Jaune."

"Wh- what do you mean?" Jaune sputtered, holding out his hands. "I didn't mean it that way! I meant it like, you _look_ like mature and stuff, not because you're…" The boy stopped talking flushing furiously. "That wouldn't even make any _sense_."

It didn't, and she knew it didn't as she started giggling, hand covering her mouth. Jaune gaped at Velvet, before realization dawned on him that she was just messing with him.

"I guess I deserve that." Jaune said, rubbing his face in exasperation. There was still a smile though. It was hard not to be amused when he was looking at a giggling Velvet.

"Sorry," She said, her mouth still covered, "I just couldn't help myself. You looked so despondent." Jaune winced, his eyes flickering nervously towards his hands.

"Oh. I, uh. Really?"

Velvet leaned over and pat Jaune's hands. "Don't worry. You're not as obvious as I make it out to be. I'd like to think that I'm a little better at reading people than most." Jaune deflated a little in relief, brushing his bangs back. Again Velvet went over to comfort him, Jaune appreciating the gesture.

"Don't worry too much about it Jaune. Going through what you went through, everyone would be a little… distracted. That's perfectly normal."

"Thanks Velvet." Jaune said, smiling at the girl. Looking back at the table, Jaune was surprised to see all of the forks and knives wrapped up perfectly, put into a plastic tub ready for the evening. If he had tried to do it all by himself, it might have taken a good part of an hour. Velvet noticed the direction of where he was looking, smirking a little.

"It's good to have friends to help you every once in a while, don't you think so?"

The boy nodded sheepishly, lips twisted into a grimace. "Yeah," He said, scratching the back of his head. "I guess you're not wrong about that."

Velvet beamed at Jaune's acceptance, no matter how brief it was, and stood up, pointing towards the kitchen door. "Great. Now why don't we both head back into the kitchen and make me that salad? I am feeling a little peckish."

Jaune hurriedly stood up, mortified that he would forget an order like that, rushing towards the kitchen. "I can't believe I forgot about it. Sorry Velvet. This one's on the house." The bunny faunus shook her head, keeping the door open for Jaune to enter.

"Nonsense Jaune. Don't worry about me, I have plenty of lien to pay for a salad and a drink."

"This isn't about if you have money or not," Jaune objected, "it's about policy."

"I didn't realize your owner had that kind of policy." Velvet shot back, holding up one of the grape tomatoes, gently squeezing it as a test. "I'll need to distract you more often if that's the case."

Jaune laughed and shook his head, "No, it's my policy. After all, the customer should be treated right, and I think remembering to make their order is a pretty big breach in the trust that you give us."

"You're making this out to be way more than it is." Velvet said, wrinkling her nose in a way that reminded Jaune of an actual rabbit. Not that he would tell her that. "I'm not _just_ a customer Jaune. I'm a friend. So quiet down and let's make a salad, yes? Actually, let's make two. You look like you haven't eaten anything at all today."

"We don't really need to—"

"When's the last time you ate?" Velvet cut Jaune off, raising an eyebrow, twirling the knife in her hand slowly.

"Well—"

"When was the last time. You. Ate?" She repeated herself slowly, her expression making it clear that she wasn't going to repeat herself. Jaune wisely balked under the gaze, muttering an answer.

"I ate something in the morning.."

"A full meal?"

"I- I mean, technically-" Jaune stopped meandering around when he caught Velvet's look again, shrinking down. "I'm guessing that an apple wouldn't count as a full meal?"

"That wouldn't even be a full meal for a rabbit." Velvet pointed a finger at Jaune, stopping him from speaking. "Don't start." She shook her head and broke apart the lettuce, tossing it into two separate bowls and pulling out the necessary ingredients to make the salads. Jaune simply stood beside her, mesmerized by how easily she moved around the kitchen.

"This isn't your first time in a kitchen." Jaune commented, bringing Velvet's attention back towards him. She seemed a lot more relaxed now that Jaune was letting her do what she wants, and shrugged at the boy, flipping the knife around.

"This isn't even my first time in _this_ kitchen." She chirped happily, before turning her attention back towards the meal, splashing a bit of olive oil into each bowl. "It's a shame that second year is a lot busier, or I probably would make some time to volunteer here." Velvet looked at each bowl, nodding at the presentation and grabbed two cutlery sets, placing them horizontally on the bowls and grabbing them, tilting her chin towards the door. "This place is… something special, let me tell you. Get the door for me?"

Jaune wordlessly went over to do so, Velvet practically flowing past him, setting the salads on the table and gesturing for him to sit. Jaune made his way towards the tables, dazed and quite frankly surprised that he would know someone who had worked at the bar before him.

The two of them sat in silence, Velvet humming happily to herself as she started to make her way through the bowl, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the meal. Juane didn't dig as deep, but still appreciated the fresh greens on his plate, pretty sure that his headache wasn't as bad as it was a few minutes ago before he had eaten.

"You know, you're a lot less… timid than I thought you would be." Jaune admitted embarrassedly, popping a crouton into his mouth. "The first time I saw you, you looked a little—"

"Lost? Shy?" She offered, looking at Jaune. "I was. I am. The owner redecorated since the last time I came, so it was a surprise for me. And if you're talking about how I always act…" Velvet's face went a little pink, coughing a bit into her fist. "I'm not… the most confident person around. I guess being back here makes me feel a little more at ease."

Juane nodded, understanding that feeling. The bar was almost a second home for him. He was in it for so many hours of the day, he could probably navigate through the whole building with his eyes closed, something he's practically done when the power goes off during large thunderstorms. Dust, he's probably spent more time here than his musty apartment. It was probably because…

"There's a lot of good company here." Jaune said, smiling at the memories that came up. A lot of people came in here with problems, some subtle about it, some not so subtle. A few were more than willing to tell a stranger, some Jaune had to coax a little before he could get the whole picture. There were all sorts of people from all walks of life, from the brave Huntresses that strove to do good to… the less reputable, but still as interesting to talk to.

 _And just imagine, the only thing I had to do was run away from home and get my whole family killed_. Even the vicious voice in his head felt a little muted, a little less bite in its tone when he was here in the bar, company beside him. Sure, it hurt that he wasn't able to bartend anymore, but that was his fault.

Maybe it was time to prove to everybody that he deserved to be trusted as their bartender.

After all, he still hadn't finished helping everyone who walked into the bar looking troubled.

"You're a good person Velvet." Jaune said softly, this time being the one to reach over and squeeze her hand, making her flush red. "Thanks for talking me through all of this."

"You're a friend Jaune." She replied back, the warm smile on her face never diminishing. "I wouldn't do anything less for anyone else."

The blond laughed, his whole body going into the motion this time, a grin resting on his face when he stopped, a finger tapping against the wooden table that they were sitting at.

"Well, now that we've talked through my stuff, why don't we reverse it?" Velvet made a questioning sound, tilting her head to the side. Jaune rolled his eyes, leaning back and crossing his arms. "Come on, don't give me that. I might not be a bartender anymore, but I could still tell that something was bothering you when you walked in."

"What?" Velvet said, drawing out the word a little too much. "What gave you that idea?"

The waiter shrugged, pretending to think. "Oh I don't know. Maybe it was the frown that you had when you walked in. Maybe your hunched shoulders, which indicated that you were stressed out, and the lines on your forehead which pointed out that you were in deep thought. Or maybe," Jaune snapped his fingers, pointing to the double-sided sign hanging from the doorway. "It's the fact that you walked into the bar when it clearly says that it's closed today for training."

Velvet's head whipped over to the sign, eyes widening as she read it. Face as red as a ruby, she sank into her seat, muttering in embarrassment.

"You should honestly lock the doors if you're closed."

"Maybe we should." Jaune answered back easily, draping an arm on the chair. "But then what would you be doing right now?" She pursed her lips, shaking her head as she sighed balefully.

"Probably sulking in the library by myself." Velvet admitted, shrugging.

"Exactly. And I have a feeling you didn't really want to do that, did you?" She didn't actually answer the question, only giving Jaune a flat stare, which was enough for Juane to draw off of. "I didn't think so."

Velvet wrinkled her nose again, before giggling, silently admitting that Juane was right. She sighed, leaning her body over the table top. "I guess I should thank you as well for letting me in. You certainly took my mind off of things." Jaune didn't answer back verbally, nodding as he settled into his seat, waiting patiently for Velvet to return his rant back at him. And so she started to talk about Team CFVY's latest mission, which ended quite badly, frustration clearly written on her face.

And Jaune did what he should have done in the beginning. Like Velvet only moments before, Jaune listened and gave the appropriate feedback, internalizing everything that she said so as to find the right way to help her through this one problem.

It was the very least he could do for her, after all.


	22. Deceptive Faces

**A/N: Haha! I just turned twenty last Friday! Go me! One more year and I'll** _ **actually**_ **know what some of these drinks taste like,** _ **and**_ **how a bartender works IRL! XD On that note, this one was a little (a lot) hard to write, so by all means, please tell me how y'all feel about this one. Hope y'all enjoy :)**

 **That guy: Hey, like I said, it's not really a problem, it's just a little weird seeing a person review to the same chapter three times XD. And Velvet being a worker? … I could expand on that. Someday. Maybe. :) The rest of your questions will… be answered at another date :)**

 **And that's fine. You do realize that if you make an** _ **account**_ **, it would make things a lot easier right? And I could answer your questions right away, like what's in the drink. :)**

 **Guest: Yeah, that's something I'm trying to point out in this story itself. Depression and grief and pretty much any negative emotions are just so… complicated to deal with. Everyone had a different way of doing it, but when they try to help others, it's like they forget their way isn't always the right way. I don't know if anyone's noticed, but some of the advice given from Jaune or to Jaune have been a little… spotty. It's mostly because everyone giving advice is just a human being, not some wise sage that's experienced all that life can offer. The best we can really do is offer our view of the world and support others when they need it. :) Thanks for the review though, and I apologize for the small rant XD**

* * *

Jaune was starting to get the feeling that people deliberately waited until he had no customers before walking in, just to make it so that Jaune didn't have any time to take a break.

As what Jaune thought was going to be the last customer left his doors, another one came in, twirling his cane in one hand. Jaune took one look at him and groaned, to the other man's displeasure.

"What, expecting someone else?" The man teased, walking over the table that Jaune had _just_ cleaned and falling into one of the seats, taking off his bowler hat and putting it onto the table, as well as hanging his cane on the back of the chair. Jaune sighed, tucking away his rag into his belt.

"Yes." Jaune replied. "Literally anyone else but you. You're a wanted criminal, Roman." The man laughed, waving a hand dismissively.

"That's why I waited until everyone left before I came in."

The waiter raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "You were watching the bar for that long?" Roman tilted his hand side to side, smirking at him.

"I may or may not be keeping tabs of when you're busiest and slowest times are." He said smugly, making Jaune roll his eyes.

"Of course you are."

The entrance swung open again, Jaune having a brief heart attack at the thought of someone finding him talking to a criminal mastermind. His heart rate went down for a second, before going back up as he saw Neo standing there, rocking back and forth on the heels, the picture of innocence.

"I should've known that Neo was gonna be here if you were." Jaune commented, one of his gloved hands lazily tracing the wood patterns on the table. "How're you doing Neo?" The dichromatic girl smiled wide and bowed deep, her legs crossed and her one of her arms out, an almost perfect curtsy. It was kind of scary to look at actually.

"Well, if I come here, I've got to have a look out and a backup plan. And who better than the wondrous Neo?" Neo jumped up, clapping her hands joyfully before finding a seat next to Roman, looking expectantly at Jaune. The boy ignored her briefly, focusing on the ginger.

"Backup plan? What do you mean—"

The doors to the back of bar opened up, Scarlet popping his head out.

"Hey Jaune, since there aren't any more customers, I'm just gonna—" He stopped talking, noticing the company that Jaune was with. "Oh I didn't realize we still had customers. Do you guys need anything?" Scarlet smiled flirtatiously, confusing Jaune. Did he just now know who these guys were? Jaune turned his head to look at Roman, only to find that it… wasn't.

Sitting where Roman was, a grey-haired man that looked in his mid-forties sat in a black suit, smiling kindly at the boy. Neo had dark hair pulled into pigtails, her eyes shining emerald.

"Just a draft of your house beer for me, my man. And my lovely daughter will get some, uh, apple juice-ow-I mean she'll have some ice cream." When Neo didn't let up her glare, Roman blinked in confusion. "What?"

"I'll make her drink." Jaune said, finally closing his mouth, pulling himself together. "Just take out a portion of vanilla vodka for me." Scarlet nodded and turned to get the order, before pausing, turning around sheepishly.

"What's the, uh, house beer again?"

"The first one on the tap." Jaune said wearily, refraining from making any noises as he waved the boy away. Roman and Neo watched the new bartender stumble about to fill their order, Jaune also spectating for a good minute before he stood up to make Neo's drink, still finishing it faster than it took Scarlet to draw up a draft, find, and pour out the appropriate amount of vanilla vodka. The boy held it up curiously, showing it to the blond.

"This is the right amount... right?"

Jaune nodded, gesturing Scarlet to pour it into the glass. There was a tad too much to make it a proper portion, but the waiter knew Neo liked her drink to be a little bit stronger anyways. The fact that he didn't want to watch Scarlet painstakingly measure out the proper amount again didn't aid in his decision at all.

Finally the drinks were successfully put together, and Jaune carried them out to the two waiting, setting them down on the table. The thief pulled out some lien, placing it onto the table as payment before he picked up his brew, Neo already halfway through her own. Blue eyes narrowed while looking at the lien, something bothering him in the back of his mind. His suspicions rang true when Jaune decided to pat his pockets, realizing that he was missing some money. The exact amount needed to pay for the drinks that he had just delivered, in fact.

Turning to Roman, Jaune found a smug smirk on his face, the man calmly drinking, leaning back onto his seat after he finished.

The blond grabbed the money—his money—and crossed his arms, taking care to sit a little further away than before, eyes darting between the two sitting on the opposite side. The room was silent for a little while as Roman, as usual, didn't speak while he savored the tastes residing inside his glass, and Neo being Neo stayed silent because… well, because she wasn't the best conversationalist in the first place.

Setting down the empty mug, Roman let out a quiet sigh, satisfied with his drink. Raising a gloved hand upwards, he gestured for a refill, Jaune standing up to do so. Quick movement made Jaune pause, seeing Scarlet standing where Jaune should've been standing, picking up the glass that Jaune should've been picking up.

"So, uh, you want the same thing… right?" Scarlet asked nervously, making Jaune frown. Of course he wanted the same thing. If he had wanted something different, he would've _said_ that, wouldn't he? Jaune held his tongue, not wanting to embarrass the bartender, even though the blond's mind was continually racing to find mistakes that Scarlet was committing.

Don't touch the top of the mug. Don't force a smile when you don't need to. Refilling meant getting another glass, not actually filling up the same cup— Jaune stood up, quickly correcting _that_ mistake.

The red-haired bartender nodded hastily, blabbering on about how he had just forgotten, which wasn't something that he needed to say. Jaune's head bobbed up and down tiredly, stopping the flow of words coming from the other boy as Jaune simply told him to remember the next time he needed to refill someone's drink.

Jaune let out an explosive sigh as he settled back into his seat, to the overt amusement displayed by the pair sitting at the same table as him. _They could laugh all they want_ , Jaune thought to himself. They weren't the ones that would have to worry about an angry customer complaining about the drop of service because of something like that.

"So Jauney," Roman started off slowly, every syllable rolling off his tongue in a way that made Jaune tense up little by little. "Why in hell's name have you been replaced by someone so..." The man made a vague gesture, Neo making a much more obscene pantomime behind him. "incompetent?"

"He's not that bad." Jaune said the words without emotion, defending the boy only as a token gesture to the fact that Scarlet was at least trying. "It's only been a few days, and everyone's got to start somewhere."

"And yet you just seemed to pop out of nowhere." The older man purred, both of his hands supporting his head, eyes watching Jaune shift uncomfortably.

"I… didn't come out of nowhere." Jaune objected feebly, eyes unable to help search for a clock, desperate to have a reason to kick the man out. There were still a good ten or so minutes till closing time though, which meant that avenue of escape wasn't possible at the moment. Roman nodded thoughtfully, fingers idly tracing the wooden patterns on the table.

"Hm. Maybe not. But you're leagues better than Mr. Good-looks-for-nothing over there." Roman pointed to the bartender rudely, making Jaune grit his teeth, glad that Scarlet wouldn't be able to hear the man from so far away.

"He's not—" Jaune tried to repeat, only to hear a yelp and a spray coming from one of the taps, interrupting his sentence. The waiter whirled around to find Scarlet soaked in drink, blinking in shock at what had happened. The 'bartender' had probably tugged on the hose a little too hard, cutting off the supply for a moment before squeezing the trigger too hard and spraying himself. It wasn't really Scarlet's fault, for once, but after everything that's happened, Jaune had had enough.

The blond boy stood up, chair screeching as it slid back, the boy marching towards Scarlet. With as much restraint as possible, Jaune threw him a clean towel and grabbed one of his hands, looking into the trainee's eyes.

"Go. Home."

Scarlet didn't say anything back, happy to just nod and scamper out of the bar, getting as fast away as he possibly could from Jaune, who seemed like he was about to blow.

He didn't, of course, having a bit more self control now that one of his bigger problems had left, having only one (or two, technically) more to deal with before he could go home and fall into bed, body exhausted.

"I'm… going to use the bathroom a little bit," Jaune said, nodding to the two customers. "Just yell if you need anything."

Roman waved a hand in permission, still laughing at what had just happened. Neo wasn't as overt, but still had a huge grin on her face, eyes tracing Jaune's path to the restroom.

The waiter tried to stall as much as he possibly could in the bathroom without raising the two criminals' suspicions, but found all his efforts ruined when he left the bathroom to find that Roman had helped himself to another mug of drink while Neo had cut the middle man altogether and was eating the tub of ice cream that she had pilfered from the freezer.

Jaune just plopped down onto the seat, not even caring anymore as he lay his head on the table, groaning.

He was going to have to apologize to Scarlet tomorrow for being so rude. He didn't mean to be so short to the bartender, but Jaune seemed to be discovering that he was growing to have a shorter and shorter temper by the day. Jaune didn't know if it was because of trying to teach Scarlet, watch Scarlet flail around uselessly, or because he hadn't had a drink in the last three days.

 _Of all the times I decided to try and quit…_ Jaune thought miserably, wishing that he hadn't been so stupid a few days before. Life just seemed to enjoy knocking him off his feet over and over again.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed yourself in there." Roman talking reminded Jaune that he wasn't the only one in the room, the boy lifting his head blearily to eye the man in front of him. It was meant to be an intimidating look, but judging by the thief's reactions, it had failed spectacularly.

"What do you want, Roman?" Jaune sighed, getting straight to the point. The ginger leaned back, legs crossed as he pulled out a cigar, lighting it.

"A lot of things, really." Roman took a puff and pointed it at Jaune. "Want a puff? I don't normally offer, but you look like you need it."

Jaune narrowed his eyes at the smoking cigar, having half a mind to take it, if only to get his mind off of everything. Willpower and higher morals, for once, took over though, and Jaune shook his head politely.

He was still trying to get through one addiction, he didn't need to add another one to the mix.

Roman shrugged and took another puff, blowing it out towards Jaune, who wrinkled his nose. "First things first. What do you think of Neo?"

Jaune blinked at the unexpected question, eyes swinging over to look at the petite girl, who was destroying the tub of ice cream with manic glee, shivering in happiness every time the spoon touched her lips.

"She's… uh, not the worst company to have?" Jaune asked more than answered, not sure why Roman was asking that sort of question in the first place. The man huffed out an annoyed breath, the gust of wind strong enough for the smoke to hit Jaune's face, making him cough a little.

"No you dimwit. What do you think of Neo _right now_?" The man pointed to the girl who was still in her disguise. Jaune tilted his head to the side, wondering why the man cared what Jaune thought. Sure the disguise was a little weird, but maybe that was because Jaune was so used to seeing Neo sporting her vibrant colors. In fact…

"She looks… normal." Jaune said reluctantly, looking up to find a satisfied expression on Roman's face.

"Good. That's exactly what we were going for, kid."

Jaune was completely lost. "Why?" He asked, hoping that Roman had drunk enough to start talking about things he usually wouldn't talk about. It didn't work, the man shaking his head, a smile on his face as he puffed the cigar.

"Something for the future. You won't have to worry about it, trust me."

Jaune wasn't sure if he should've felt relieved, because he didn't. In fact, that words seemed to inspire more worry in him than before, his gut whispering to him that something wasn't quite right.

"Anyways," Roman said, stopping any further questions from popping up as he continued to go down his own list. "Next is… How're you feeling, kid?"

Again, the question completely took him off guard. So he stood there gaping at the man, wondering if he had heard Roman right.

"You mean right now?" Jaune asked, wondering what Roman was trying to achieve with this weird line of questioning. An exasperated sigh escaped Roman.

"No, I meant tomorrow morning." Roman rolled his eyes, taking out his cigar. "Man, am I slurring my words or something? My cigar isn't _that_ big. You can hear what I'm saying right Neo?" The girl nodded, saluting helpfully. "Okay, well then it's definitely not _me_ that's the problem here."

"Alright, alright!" Jaune held out his hands. "I get it, stupid question."

Neo snorted, tossing her hair back. "Well, at least you knew that was a stupid question," Roman said derisively, sneering at the boy. "Now if only you could answer a question properly, you probably wouldn't have lost your job."

That hurt, and Roman knew it by the look on his face. Jaune inhaled sharply, feeling like a needle had stuck itself carefully into his heart, not fatal, but it sure as dust stung whenever his heart beat.

"That was unnecessary." Jaune said lowly, hands gripping the table edge. "I don't think there was any… _need_ for such low blows." Saying what he needed to say, Jaune let out a steady breath, the wind making the smoke from Roman's cigar dance in interesting ways. The smoke scattered as Roman laughed, rolling his eyes.

"I'm a thief, kid. I _only_ deal in low blows." Roman snapped his fingers, as if remembering something. "Except when it hurts more for me to hit above the belt."

Jaune combed his fingers through his hair, quickly losing track of the conversation. Every time Roman visited was like a whirlwind, even when Jaune was bartending. There was something wily and observant about the man, in a way that Roman always seemed to glean more out of their conversations than Jaune ever could.

"Even so." Jaune finally said. "It was still unnecessary."

Roman didn't say anything, eyes flickering up and down Jaune, as if looking for something. The silence was deafening, the only thing Jaune could hear was the sound of a metal spoon hitting the bottom of a tub of ice cream, everything else blocked out.

"It might not have been necessary for you." Roman finally said, breaking the spell of silence. "But maybe it was necessary for me." He tapped his cigar, letting the ashes fall onto the table, Jaune scowling at the action. "Sometimes it's more important to see how 'necessary' something is for the other person before you look at yourself." The ginger shrugged, chewing on the butt of the cigar. "Think on that, kid. Some free advice from your local thief." Jaune nodded, not sure what else to do in the face of all of that.

Seeing that Jaune was completely baffled, Roman continued on, happy to keep confusing the boy.

"Now. On a completely unrelated note, I hear little Miss Cinder had tried to offer you something the other day?" The tone was completely conversational, but made Jaune freeze up, his mind racing.

Roman was a big time criminal, that was pretty much established in the first fifteen seconds that Jaune had met him.

Cinder on the other hand, was… something else. She was more secretive than Roman, which is a huge task to do, and the way she spoke just made Jaune feel _wrong_.

Roman just made him feel confused.

But for him to be asking about her…

Jaune's headache grew a little stronger, and he decided to push the thought out of his mind. He wasn't going to be able to piece together a kid's puzzle right now, let alone the one thousand piece jigsaw that was being held in front of him.

"Yes." Jaune said shortly, deciding to tell the truth. Besides, Neo had been there, so it wasn't like lying would've actually done anything.

"Mm." Roman tapped his lips, face screwed into a thoughtful expression. "Now, from what Neo told me, Cinder was trying to get you on her… side, which is an interesting thought."

Jaune blinked, looking at the two of them. "Neo told you this." The blond said flatly, the girl smiling innocently at him.

"Yeah, she's quite a gossip. Absolutely talks my ear off, she does, the little scoundrel."

Jaune opened his mouth, and kept it open, not sure what to say to that. Neo, on the other hand, just sat there preening, taking everything that Roman had said as a compliment.

"…Yes." Again, without knowing what to say, Jaune agreed with Roman, knowing that it was the easiest option to go with at the moment. The man took out his cigar, pinching the tip of it to put it out before leaning in towards Jaune, eyes intent.

"You have an answer yet, kid?" Roman's tone was radically different from the lackadaisical one that he had been sporting since he had entered the room, Jaune getting the feeling that this one would mean something big however he answered it.

So what was his answer?

Every conversation that Jaune had while in the hospital stuck with him in some way, but there were only a few that really kept him up at night, each of them for their own reasons.

Professor Goodwitch's for the anguish that Jaune had caused her, and the reminder that Jaune was recovering not only for himself, but for the people around him that cared.

Blake's because it gave him… hope. It was a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time, but out of every conversation, hers was the one that made him hope for the future. It wasn't the best heart-to-heart he's had, dust, it wasn't even all that well put together, judging by how uncertain she had been when talking to him. But it was heartfelt, and it was by someone who usually kept everyone at arm's length, and that meant something to him.

And then there was Cinder's conversation. It was the shortest out of the three, but kept him from sleeping the most.

 _Do you wish to be more powerful?_

The words echoed in his mind all the time, and the ones before as well.

 _I should just kill you right now_.

Why did she say that? Why did she even come visit? Sure, he had talked with her quite a bit, the woman visiting on a semi-regular basis, but it wasn't like they talked about much. Or did they?

There always seemed to be a second conversation going on when he was talking with her, and when she left, it was always Jaune who was furrowing his brow, trying to understand what Cinder had meant.

Right?

"…I don't know." Jaune said heavily, refusing to look at Roman or Neo, whose spoon had stopped rising and falling, her whole body still as if carved out of marble. "There's a lot on my mind right now and… and I don't think I can really give her an answer until- until I'm ready."

"Ready?" Roman repeated the word, the question dancing in his eyes. "Ready for what?" The thief was gently prodding, trying to find something, something that Jaune wasn't sure he wanted to give out yet. In a rare reversal, Jaune shook his head, not wanting to give away any more than he already had.

"Just until I'm ready." Jaune said firmly, smiling at the man. "It doesn't hurt to prepare yourself for life, does it?"

The eccentrically dressed man sat there, fingers weaved together, his eyes piercing into Jaune's. "No." Roman said slowly. "I suppose it doesn't."

Jaune kept his eyes on Roman's, not sure what to say or do after that. There was a bubbling pit inside of his stomach, his frustration rising. It seemed that recently all he's ever done was react. Roman always seemed to have the upper hand in every conversation because Jaune keeps letting him have the upper hand. It was frustrating, and quite frankly Jaune had had enough of it.

"Why're you here Roman?" Jaune asked suddenly. If Roman was surprised by the question, he didn't show it, simply raising an eyebrow at the blond.

"What can you possibly mean by that?" Roman asked, amused. His eyes spoke a different story though, telling Jaune to be careful about what he was going to say next. Even Neo seemed to be enraptured by what was happening, idly twirling her umbrella around in her hands.

"Just curious, is all." Jaune said evenly. "I mean, don't you think it's fair for me to ask since you've been doing the same thing?"

Roman cracked a small smile.

"That _does_ sound fair." The man relented, nodding. "It's a shame that the world doesn't operate on fairness though."

"Maybe it doesn't." Jaune answered back. "That doesn't mean we have to go willingly with how the world works. You of all people should know that." It was a mediocre comeback at best, but judging by the look that Roman gave Jaune, it might've been enough to skate by.

"Not bad Jaune. You're learning. Not very well, but." The ginger shrugged. "it's more than I can really ask for out of you."

"Out of me?" Jaune's mind suddenly started to work, the conversation playing back in his mind. "Why are you so interested in me, Roman?" The boy caught Neo smiling viciously at him. Roman didn't have quite as much of a smile, but Jaune could still see the hints of… of something in his eyes. Something that told Jaune that he was starting to get on the right track.

"Why _am_ I so interested in you Jaune?" Roman leaned forward suddenly, his hand flying out, trying to strike Jaune's neck. Fast, faster than Jaune had thought he could move, the boy shoved himself backwards, letting the chair slide along with him, avoiding Roman's grip.

And hitting Neo, who had seemingly teleported right behind Jaune. Metal on metal rang out as the girl drew her sword out of her umbrella and placed it on the boy's neck. Muscles locked up as the waiter froze, not wanting to provoke the dichromatic girl.

Roman stood up from out of his chair, putting on his hat and casually strolling towards Jaune, his cane spinning in lazy arcs around his arm.

"It's a good question, I'll give you that, kid." Roman said, stopping in front of the boy. "There's a lot of good answers, too." The man's other hand grabbed the handle of Melodic Cudgel, pointing it upwards to the roof, the ginger's critical eye going up and down the weapon. "Maybe it's because Cinder seems to be interested in you, blondie. Maybe it's because I can name off half a dozen _very_ influential Huntsman and Huntresses that like your company." The man placed the barrel of the cane onto Jaune's temple. "Maybe it's the queer fact that you have an influence with everyone you speak to, and that it isn't always the _best_ kind of influence." The barrel left Jaune's head, slamming onto the ground. "Or maybe because you just seem to be so _damn_ fun." Neo giggled at the last one, her first audible noise since she walked into the bar.

"Tell you the truth kiddo, there's a lot of reasons that a lot of people should be keeping an eye out on you." Roman waved a hand, and Neo withdrew her blade, skipping towards the man. "All good reasons. But you know what? They're not my reasons."

A shot rang through the bar, Melodic Cudgel firing off and the shot hitting the floor next to Jaune, heat searing through his pant leg.

"Maybe I'm just interested in the fact that you don't ever seem to be afraid of anyone, Jaune." Roman didn't lower his cane, in fact actually raising it, pointing it straight at Jaune again. "There's all kinds of people walking into the bar here Jaune, and you never blink twice to any of them. Cinder, Goodwitch, Ironwood. All monsters of their own right, and yet I never see you back down from them. Why?"

The room was so quiet that Jaune thought he could hear the leather of Roman's glove creaking as he tightened his finger around the trigger of his weapon.

And yet, Roman was right. Jaune didn't know why, he wasn't sure how, but he wasn't scared. Even with what was practically a gun pointed at Jaune's head, he wasn't panicked. Dust, he had been more panicked the other night when he mistakenly taught Scarlet how to serve a body shot when Pyrrha asked for it than he was now with a gun pointed towards him, threatening to blow his brains out.

"Maybe it's because I don't treat them like monsters." Still his voice was steady. "I don't know why. Maybe I'm broken." Jaune shrugged. "Maybe it's just me."

Roman stood there, his cane swaying a little before it went back down, a huff of breath leaving him.

"We're all broken, kid. You're not living 'less life's had her way with you, made you broken." Roman closed his eyes briefly, thinking about something before opening his eyes again, looking calmly at the boy.

"Be careful, kid. Choose your words carefully the next time you meet with someone… different. You'd be surprised at how much you can change the person." Roman held out his hand, Neo placing her hand on top of it. "For better or for worse."

And the two of them shattered, disappearing into the night.

Not a second passed before the doors swung open, Professor Goodwitch striding through, her eyes flying left and right, brandishing her riding crop in an offensive stance.

"Are you alright Jaune? I hope I've not come too late." She spoke in a calm voice, filing away everything around Jaune. Two empty glasses, and two chairs pulled away from the table. Jaune sitting further back than he should be, a shadow of some sort of bruise around his neck maybe. Nothing was broken, but there was a black mark next to where Jaune was sitting, a rip in his dress pants close to the site of impact.

And blank look of calm on Jaune's face.

For someone who had sent the text _Help_ just a few minutes ago, he didn't look much in need of the help he was asking for.

The boy turned to Professor Goodwitch and cracked a shaky grin.

"I'm fine."


	23. Hei There

**A/N: Busy busy week, and I decide to procrastinate my writing. Sorry. Sigh. I'm going off the deep end I swear. There's not much to say right now. Hopefully if anyone here thinks things are going slowly well… maybe that'll change up soon. :) I also apologize for the title. I just… couldn't help myself.**

 **Or not! Who knows? XD Anyways, hope y'all enjoy.**

 **P.S. Sorry for the ship sinking! (Not sorry)**

 **That guy: What? Course she is. Puh lease. And thanks :)**

 **Guest: No. Jaune never weighs the decisions he makes. XD**

* * *

Competitors usually don't visit other competitors' stores, especially if they were at odds with one another. Hei Xiong stepped in through the front door of the establishment as Jaune had just finished mopping up one of the tables, a family of seven that had decided to feed the table their food instead of themselves. Didn't even leave a tip or an apology note, Jaune had muttered to himself repeatedly countless of times while he was cleaning the place up, already in a foul mood.

Looking up and seeing the sunglasses of the thuggish man didn't help Jaune's mood any, and the blond called out for Scarlet, not wanting to deal with any more trouble for the rest of the day.

"Scarlet, you've got a customer. Give him something to drink that'll actually taste decent. He needs something to compare to what he's got." Or maybe as Jaune grew more irritable, he found himself finding more trouble.

The bearded man growled, stepping forwards and crossing his arms, looking at the boy with a menacing glare. Jaune stared levelly back at him, quirking his lips.

"You know, a death glare would help if I could actually see your eyes."

The was the sound of metal being pulled out from somewhere, and two girls stepped out from behind the tall man, both of them giving identical, analytical stares at the waiter in front of them.

"Militia, this boy thinks he has a sense of humor." The one in white said, her heels clicking loudly against the floor. Her sister put one of her clawed hands up towards her face, one of the blades sliding slowly across her cheek.

"Yes, I heard. It's a pity, don't you think?"

"It is," Melanie nodded, a look of pity on her face. "Such a sweet boy having such a terrible sense of humor. One of the few flaws that make him so imperfect. Maybe we should teach him a few points in good manners, sister? Maybe instill some respect towards people more… what's the word?"

"Dangerous." Militia filled in, taking another step forwards. "You should be careful around people who could take you down a peg or five, blondie."

Jaune didn't back down, hardly caring about the weapons that the twins were holding against him. The blond instead just casually leaned against the table that he had just cleaned, crossing his arms as he kept his gaze on the three thugs in front of him. "I usually am pretty careful around people like that. When I see them." Jaune added, shrugging disdainfully at the two.

The tension only seemed to rise as the two girls scowled, stances lowering themselves to an almost dangerous position, ready to spring and tear the boy apart at any moment.

A loud bang interrupted their face off, a bullet flying through the air and cutting the room in half between where Jaune and the twins were standing, breaking the tension as Scarlet stood there with his flintlock pistol, a surprised look on his face.

"Oh wow. Can't believe my gun would just misfire like that. You know how these old things are sometimes," The bartender laughed, the smile on his face fake and his eyes refusing to budge from the Malachite Twins, his other hand resting on his cutlass.

The posing fell off as the man known as Junior clapped his hands once, causing his company to turn in confusion, wondering what that was all about.

"Alright, settle down girls." The grizzly bear of a man said, pointing to a table. "We're not here to cause any trouble. This time." He added, shrugging at Jaune's pointed look.

"What _are_ you here for then?" Jaune challenged, not letting up. Competitors don't walk into other competitors stores without good reason, especially if it's the infamous Junior Xiong. The blond would rather bet money on fighting another Beowulf than the fact that Hei was here for just a drink.

"I'm here for a lot of things, kid." The man answered back gruffly, settling down at the table that the twins had occupied. "But most of the stuff is sort of personal so maybe your little friend could back off and give us some space, hm?" Hei pointed at Scarlet, who frowned at the man, making sure to deliberately reload in front of the bearded man.

"Personal?" Jaune pointed at himself. "I'm guessing I've got something to do with this?"

"Boy, you've got everything to do with this." Hei lifted up his sunglasses and put them away, his eyes boring into Jaune. The waiter, crossed his arms, shaking his head. This hadn't been the first time Jaune had been propositioned to by the bar owner.

"I told you, I'm not telling you anything about my drink. End of story." Jaune said firmly. A gloved hand waved in the air dismissively though, Junior shaking his head.

"That's not what I'm here for." Junior paused, before adding, "Although if you ever change your mind…"

"No." Came Jaune's answer, as adamant as before. Junior huffed a breath, letting go of the topic.

"Fine. That's not what's important right now." Junior pointed at Jaune. "What's important is how much attention you've been getting in the underworld." Jaune looked at the man in disbelief.

"I am?" Jaune asked. "Why?"

"Don't play dumb, Jaune." The man said. "You know exactly why."

The blonde frowned, thinking back to the conversation that he had with Roman. "Just because I speak with Roman doesn't mean I'm 'attracting attention'. This isn't the first time he's come by here."

"I wasn't just talking about Roman." Junior said, shaking his head. "Although him taking an interest in you is bad enough as it is."

"Then who are you talking about? Better yet, why're you telling me?" Jaune pursed his lips, narrowing his eyes at the man. "We aren't close Junior, and I know you would be overjoyed to see this place go down in flames." The man snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Let's not be overdramatic here," The man said, "I'd be fine if you guys just closed down, or decided to move a little further away. Like the next city over, further away." Hei held up his hand, stopping Jaune from snarking back at the him. "I'm telling you this as a warning. And… to make you consider my offer."

"Your offer?" Jaune asked, unable to remember what or when Junior had offered him anything.

"My offer." The man said, nodding. The hulking man leaned forward, looking at Jaune seriously, making the boy's spine tingle. "I'm saying that you should come work for me." The man said softly, holding out his hands. "I can offer you protection. A sense of stability. And," Junior added, lifting up a finger. "I could get you to be a bartender again. You're not fit for waiting tables, Jaune. As much as a hate to admit it, you're one of the best talents in bartending I've ever seen, and behind the counter is where you belong. Not… here, cleaning up after people's messes."

Jaune didn't move, looking at the man, his expression a smooth as a cleaned table, the man on the other side unable to glean anything. Seeing the boy like that, Junior decided to continue talking, assuming that the blond wouldn't be saying anything anytime soon.

"I could tell from the first second when I walked in that you didn't want to be doing this." Junior said, rapping his knuckles against the wood. "And I've seen _and_ heard how happy you are when you're making and serving drinks. It should be a crime benching you from bartending."

Still the boy didn't say anything, his gaze straight, but not looking at Hei, rather staring straight past him, the waiter's mind in turmoil.

As much as Jaune didn't want to admit it, Junior was right. He didn't know how much he loved bartending, but now that it was taken out of his hands, he missed it. He missed the ease of making drinks, the appreciation that everyone displayed, and the small talk he always had time for when he was taking care of the people ordering. It was fun, and more meaningful than the hectic work of being a waiter, where the best Jaune could do was five or ten minutes of talking before he took their order. The rest of the time was worse, Jaune practically clueless on the needs of the customer as time went by. With bartending it was easy. Send me drinks and keep them coming. With a table, Jaune never knew if the person needed a refill, or wanted to order dessert or another side, or just wanted the bill. Jaune had less control over everything, and that just felt like he wasn't able to meet the needs of the customers to their satisfaction.

It was harrowing for the blond.

The offer of getting reinstated back as a bartender? It was tempting. Hell, it made Jaune's mouth dry, his heart beat a little faster at the temptation. The small, pitiful part of his brain loved the inner turmoil, whispering incessantly into his ears.

 _Take the offer. What's the harm? After all, you're just moving a few blocks away. You'll have 'protection', your bartending job back… and these two lovely ladies in front of you._

Jaune snorted internally at the last bit, his eyes flickering towards the white and red duo, who were looking at their nails disinterestedly. Their mask cracked a little when the two of them looked up, clearly curious about what was happening before snapping back to examining their fingers, catching Jaune watching them.

No one would really complain, right? After all, everyone was worried that he would relapse into drinking again, not working as a bartender. Jaune just had to make sure that he didn't drink anymore. That's all. Blue eyes trailed over to Junior, who sat there patiently, waiting for Jaune's reply.

Jaune had heard stories about the man. He was ruthless as a business man, but protected his own. If Jaune was to go under the man's wing…

He'd probably be safer than out here, in a job that he hated. And with the man's relaxed sense of morals, he probably wouldn't even mind if Jaune decided to have a drink or two while on the job. Dust, the man would probably encourage it.

He missed drinking.

True, it was something harmful, and it hurt more people than himself when Jaune drank, but he _missed_ it. There was a comfort in drinking that Jaune had a hard time finding anywhere else, especially when he was alone. It helped him limp along when he was reminded of the past, and it was a crutch that helped him smile when he felt like crawling into his bed and never waking up. Even the mornings after were something to be missed, the hangovers he got brief, but effective in waking him up and distracting him of his empty apartment. It was something to do, Jaune guessed, because he never really took the time to do anything else.

The slightest movement to the left of him made Jaune turn his head a little, eyes widening as the image he saw faded away.

His mother stood there, frowning before fading away. She hadn't been looking at Jaune though, instead looking at the three in front of him, a stern look on her face before she disappeared.

Whether or not that was his imagination, it was enough to snap Jaune out of his daze, and the bigger part in his mind started speaking, reminding him of the bad that would come out of joining Hei.

And let's face it, Glynda would eviscerate him if she knew he was even thinking about drinking again.

Joining Junior would be betraying Glynda, and that was probably the last thing he would ever want to do. His chest grew a little warm as he remembered the few nights ago when the professor had come to his rescue, and had decided to stay for a little while to keep him company. He remembered how hesitant she had been, her face turning red when she said that she was proud of him for trying to grow and improve, and could almost feel the warmth of the hug that she had wrapped him in before she left.

She cared about him, like he cared about her. Like he cared about everyone else, and they cared about him.

"I'm sorry." Jaune said hoarsely, shaking his head. "Thank you… for the offer. But I'd like to stay here." _With everyone_.

The man sitting in front of him stiffened. "Did I not make myself clear?" The man asked, not angry, actually confused, wondering why Jaune would refuse an offer like his. "You will be in danger, sooner or later, if you stay here. No one will protect you when the time comes."

"No." Jaune said firmly, looking at Junior. "My friends will protect me."

The man scowled and roughly pushed himself out of his chair, standing up. "Fine." The man said gruffly, turning towards the door. "Just don't say I didn't warn you."

"Junior."

The man stopped for a brief second, but didn't turn around. Juane looked at the man's large back, fingers tapping gently on the table.

"Thank you. For the warning."

The man scoffed, taking out his sunglasses and putting them over his eyes. "I'm not doing this for you, kid. It'd be a shame if you died and we lost that Hunter's drink of yours though. Maybe one day I'll get it out of you before I blow you to pieces or something."

Jaune smiled, nodding even though the man couldn't see him. "Maybe someday."

The blond continued to watch as Hei disappeared from his sight, the door swinging shut before the waiter realized that the man had forgotten to take something with him.

"So, you gonna serve us, or what?" Melanie asked, head resting lazily on her hand, her sister tracing and almost carving patterns into the table with her claws. Jaune frowned at that and reached out, grabbing one of the blades with his gloved hands.

"Don't do that with the tables. They're busted up as it is." Jaune protested, keeping a tight grip on the claw. Militia raised an eyebrow at the balls Jaune was showing, grabbing onto her razor sharp claws without a thought. She listened though, pulling back gently and putting her hands on her lap.

"The way I see it, I was doing you a favor anyways." The girl clad in red said, tossing her hair. "It's about time you get some new tables in this rickety old bar."

"It helps with the homely feeling." Jaune said defensively, before pulling out a pen and pad, pressing the end with a click. "What'll you be having?"

The two girls listed off their orders, this not being the first time they've walked into the establishment, threatened Jaune and ordered food from the bar. Jaune nodded, standing up and going into the kitchens, calling out the orders. In between the time it took to call out the twins' order and make it, the waiter stopped at all the other tables, refilling where needed, removing plates whenever demanded, and handing bills to the people who were either finishing up or ordering dessert.

That wasn't to say it was a smooth or easy experience, Jaune messing up once or twice, bringing the refills to the wrong tables, almost charging people for things they didn't order. All in all though, it was a regular trek for Jaune, who finally lifted up the tray for the Malachite twins, placing their meals in front of them.

"Mm. Your food here is as good as always, unlike the quality of your cocktails." Jaune looked at the dainty drinks that Militia had pointed to, apparently having ordered them while Jaune had been busy with other customers.

Militia had ordered a Cosmopolitan, which just by look was a little too red for Jaune's taste, Scarlet probably putting too much cranberry juice in, tilting the drink over to being too sour for the girl's taste. On the other girl's side was a Piña Colada, which judging by the smell (or lack thereof) more than likely meant that the bartender hadn't mixed the drink well enough, or put enough pineapple to give the drink its proper taste.

"He's new," Jaune said wearily, having felt as if he had said the words a thousand times since yesterday. "Give him time. He'll get better."

The girl made a doubtful noise, tracing her finger against the rim of the glass. "I have the strangest feeling it just won't be enough."

It won't be, Jaune thought to himself. Scarlet was a hard worker, but he didn't put every ounce of effort into making those drinks. There was a dedication to the craft that he lacked, and it would always show in his drinks, at least until the boy found a proper reason why he would need or want to invest all his time in perfecting the craft.

And to be honest, why would he? Scarlet was here because he needed the part-time work, not because he wanted to be a bartender for the rest of his life. Hell, he was a Huntsman in training, why would he lower himself to being a bartender when he had a choice to become a hero?

"If you're unsatisfied with your drinks, we can always remake them for you, on the house." Jaune said stiffly, clasping his hands behind his back to hide his clenched fists.

Both of them looked at each other, before they looked at Jaune, shaking their heads in unision.

"No. We don't think so." Jaune relaxed as the white one replied. "Just take them back."

"Take… them back?" Jaune repeated, not quite understanding. Melanie leaned on the table, her gaze boring into him.

"Yes. Take them back. We don't want to drink them anymore, so take them back." The girl said slowly, as if she was explaining something to a particularly slow child. Jaune flushed in embarrassment and grabbed the drinks.

"I'm sorry they weren't up to your standards." Jaune muttered, walking into the kitchens. Normally he was supposed to bring them up to Scarlet but…

Jaune had seen how hard the red-haired boy had worked, and he took pride in learning every drink the blond had taught him, happy to improve even a little.

Seeing the near full glasses being sent back would devastate the boy.

Jaune poured the drinks out and washed the glasses himself, giving him some time to clear his mind, and the unnecessary anger that was rising up into his throat. The twins had a right to complain and send back their orders of course. They were customers. They weren't in the wrong here, even if they could've been a little more polite when they said so.

Still, it took a lot of effort for the boy not to slam the glasses into the air dryer, having to take a few deep breaths to even out his anger.

The rest of the morning passed by a lot more smoothly after Jaune managed to get the two twins to leave without attacking them. As with most mornings at the bar, there weren't that many customers. In fact, Jaune called Scarlet to go out and grab a bite to eat, no one ordering a drink again after the Malachite twins.

The door clicking closed as Scarlet left, Jaune looked around the empty room, the ceiling fans and Jaune the only thing moving.

The boy sat down and pulled out his scroll, thumbing the screen to pull up his contacts list, which was a lot longer than he had ever expected it to be. He was given it less than a day after he had been discharged from the hospital, Professor Goodwitch insisting on giving it him. She had been the first one to add her number to Jaune's scroll, and it wasn't much longer before the rest of his friends showed up and put their info in as well, each one of their names personalized to their desires.

Jaune still smiled when he went past _Greatest and Most Awesomest Friend ever,_ Yang's contact, as well as _Queen of the Castle_ , which was Nora's. He stopped over Professor Goodwitch's number, the contact shining as _Glynda Goodwitch_ , something she had been urging Jaune to call her as he wasn't really one of her students.

The teacher picked up almost faster than Jaune had let go of the call button, as if she had been waiting for Jaune to call her.

"Jaune? Is everything alright? Are you in trouble?" It was funny how that was the first words the Professor said every time he called.

"No, I'm alright," Jaune said, laughing a little. He sat down on one of his bar stools, kicking his legs back and forth. "I just... I just wanted to... talk. Is that alright?" He got quieter and quieter as he continued talking, feeling awkward about the request. There was brief silence across the line before the professor spoke again.

"Yes. That's... that's fine." Jaune crinkled his brow, pretty sure that he heard her choking on her words a little as she talked. Her next words were more composed, as she said, "How was your day?"

"It was alright," Jaune replied back, happy to have someone to talk to. The two of them went back and forth in detailing their days, moaning and groaning about the little things, like Scarlet messing up a drink or trying to round up one of Professor Port's recent 'acquisitions'. All throughout their mundane chatter, Jaune felt warmth flowing through his chest, as if someone dropped a smoldering coal into some water, a cool bubbly feeling rising through him.

It didn't take long for Jaune to realize what the feeling was. It had been a while since Jaune had talked so freely to someone, finding someone to confide in his everyday worries and troubles, and someone who listened and didn't do anything to solve it, but instead lent their quiet support by complaining back at him.

The more Jaune talked with Professor Glynda the more he felt at ease, as if talking to an older sister... or his mother.

The ache that usually thrust into his heart when he thought about his deceased parents... was still there, but it felt a little duller, the pain ebbing away a little faster.

"Are you alright Jaune?"

The question snapped the boy out of his brief reverie, looking back into the scroll. Somewhere along the lines as they were talking Jaune and Glynda had decided to toggle on their face cams, making it easier for the both of them to gauge each other's reactions. Jaune saw the worry on the blonde teacher's face, and couldn't help but smile a little, strangely glad to see it.

"Yeah, just... thinking." He answered back. The woman peered over her glasses, looking for something. When she found it, she smiled, a genuine, erasing some of the lines on her face and making her look radiant.

"What _are_ you thinking about, Jaune?" She asked. The boy looked at her, and thought. Thought about how she always worried about him, was always willing to entertain him when he wanted to talk. She took care of him, something that she didn't ever really need to do, but put it on herself to do anyways.

"You remind me of my mother." Jaune said softly, the words slipping out before he could control himself. He widened his eyes in panic, not meaning to say those words out loud and risk chasing the woman away, the surprised look on her face not helping the situation. Before the waiter could make up an excuse to hang up and torture himself by recalling the slip of the tongue, Glynda smiled tentatively.

"I would be honored to be your mother." She answered back just as quietly, making Jaune's heart pound. He felt soft of lightheaded, his fingers a little numb, and he wasn't sure if it was because his heart was going a mile a minute or if it was just because he was so _damn happy_.

"Thank you." Jaune croaked out, brushing a droplet of water that had hit his scroll screen. Looking up, he found no leak, and didn't realize that he had been crying until he looked back down again, finding a few more droplets fall from his face.

Even the motherly witch had a few tears in her eyes, but found the composure to wipe them away, not wanting to make Jaune cry any harder.

And he didn't cry any harder, quickly wiping away the tears, smiling shakily at her.

And all was well, until a hand reached over Professor Goodwitch's shoulder, bringing her around. Professor Ozpin stood there, urgent expression on his face.

"Glynda, we need to mobilize the Huntsman now."

Snapped out of the quiet moment that the two of them had, the blonde witch looked at the Headmaster incredulously, eyes wide.

"What? Why? What happened?"

Even on the scroll Jaune could see the headmaster's grim look, the way he tightened his grip on the huntress's shoulders.

"The seal from Mountain Glenn has been breached."

"The Grimm are in the city."


	24. A Grimm Day

**A/N: Barroom looks like such a weird word. I just noticed that. Hm. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter... Gods know I enjoyed writing it :)**

 **Guest 1: Thanks!**

 **That guy: You're not wrong there XD Hei's more of a 'I'm sure I can get one person to a panic room if anything happens' kind of guy when it comes to 'protecting' XD**

 **Guest 2: Thanks ^-^, yeah, Jaune's kind of separated from main storyline… except the ones that really affect all of Vale :P**

 **Guest 3: Hahaha, hey, keep writing, that's how you improve. That's how I do it :)**

 **Guest 4: Thanks!**

* * *

"Jaune, whatever happens, I need you to stay in the bar."

Jaune couldn't see where Glynda was, but he could tell that she was going somewhere fast, at least with the way that the background seemed to speed along on the scroll screen.

"I wasn't really planning on leaving, really." Jaune answered back, nodding at the woman. He had already done enough heroics for a lifetime, he wasn't going to go back out there and fight Grimm that he knew he couldn't fight. That wasn't brave. That was suicide.

Still, it didn't stop his hands from tightening, his heart from beating a little harder, his body wanting to jump into any sort of action, if only to save civilians from getting hurt. It took more effort than Jaune would have thought to convince his body to slow down, reminding himself that they were in the middle of Vale, where there were dozens of Huntsmen, and hundreds of Hunters-in-training that would do a much better job at rescuing anyone in need without someone like him clumsily trying to help people and endanger his own life to do so.

No, the best thing for him to do right now is to barricade the doors and wait it out. For extra measure, Jaune reached behind the bar counter, bringing out a shotgun and pumping it, making sure that it was ready just in case a Grimm was able to make its way into the bar. Jaune handled the weapon a little clumsily, having never really operated the weapon except for the few times that he pulled it out to discourage anything rowdy from happening, and it showed when an unused shell propelled itself out of the chamber as Jaune pulled back the forestock, having forgotten that the shotgun was always loaded.

The waiter picked up the shell and flipped the shotgun over, loading it in slowly and hoping that he had put it in the right way, placing the gun down and moving to place a few stools against the door entrance, sitting down in the middle of the bar again after he finished.

He wasn't sure how many minutes passed by with him just sitting there. Jaune fidgeted a little with his scroll, opening and closing it repeatedly, answering any calls that people seemed to make as the news of what people called the 'Breach' spread through Vale.

Jaune could hear a lot of running and screaming outside, but he didn't hear any roars, or footsteps heavier than what a human could've made. Just the news of the Grimm being so close had so many people in a panic, and it was obvious that some of the less reputable chose to strike now as well, taking advantage of the confusion to break windows and loot stores, if the sound of breaking glass was any indication.

The blond boy shook his head, not able to understand how anyone could be doing something so terrible in a time like this. Why would you waste time getting to a safe place to steal something that wouldn't have any value if you were dead? _It was stupid_ , Jaune thought to himself.

But even as he thought those words, he flushed a little with shame, realizing that what he had done a little less than a week ago was pretty much the same thing. When he tried to fight wild Grimm without any training, what had he been thinking? Was he really that suicidal? The boy sighed and wandered off towards the bar nozzles, pouring himself a drink—that lemon-lime soda that he was trying to use to replace the taste of whiskey—and deciding to pace, using the whole room as a way to keep his minds off the screaming outside.

It was another ten or so minutes when he heard any evidence of nonhuman activity. The glasses in the bar shook as footsteps got closer and closer. A Grimm with suitable mass more than likely, probably a large Ursa. When the screaming was cut off by an echoing roar, Jaune's hand shot out to grab his only protection, lifting it and holding it towards the entrance, eyes wide as he looked at both windows as well. His presence there had been enough for looters to back away, seeing the weapon that he was sporting beside him, but Grimm had no reservations about something like a small shotgun. Metal was metal when the monsters were chewing on it after all.

His hands were shaking.

No matter how hard he tried, his hands shook visibly, the thought of a Grimm breaking into his haven something that made him feel sick to his stomach. It hadn't been obvious until he saw the first sign of Grimm, but he wasn't over the trauma of nearly dying to the Beowulf back then. Hiding wouldn't have done anything either, Jaune knowing firsthand how easy it was for the monsters to find a human when they caught scent of him.

Jaune was absolutely terrified.

The Ursa outside his window turned to him, its red eyes almost glowing brighter as it spotted the boy, the creature rearing up on its hind legs and giving out a deafening roar, one of its paws smashing through the window. Of course, as with all Grimm, the accompanying Ursa followed suit, ramming its shoulder into the door, an audible crack echoing through the barroom. Jaune screamed, something high pitched that was drowned out by the Grimm roars, and without thinking he pulled the shotgun trigger, the blast striking the first Ursa across its mask, ricochet audible as some of the pellets were deflected.

The hit enraged the Grimm more than it hurt it, and the monster decided that it had spent enough time smashing the window, forcing its mass through the frame, brick and plaster giving way under the size and weight of the bear Grimm.

Jaune struggled to pump another shell into the chamber, the foregrip harder to pull back than he imagined. Barely managing it, Jaune blasted another shot into the Ursa, this time striking its shoulder, causing the creature to stagger back.

The second Grimm burst into the room, the doors that held the bar entrance shut splintering into pieces and flying all over the place, making Jaune jump and reactively fire another shot, missing the second Ursa by a mile.

The bear that was closest to him was given time to recover, and raised itself on its hind legs, arms raised in fury, ready to smash the human in front of him into fine paste against the ground. Jaune screamed again, this one much more feral, a primal will to live flowing through his body as he cocked the shotgun again, letting another shell loose. It knocked the Grimm over onto its back, and the blond waiter took a step closer, firing another shot, and another shot, and another shot.

A giddy feeling bubbled up Jaune's chest and escaped in quiet giggles of relief as the Ursa started to dissipate, the clear sign that he had killed it. The adrenaline in his body seemed to subside for a second before going into overtime, as the second bear reminded Jaune that it was still there, and still very angry.

Jaune swung the barrel around and actually gave himself some time to aim, making sure that the next shot was going to hit the Ursa full in its exposed jaw, hopefully killing him. Letting the bear Grimm get a little closer, Jaune squeezed the trigger, bracing himself for the recoil that was to come.

And not finding it.

 _How many shots had I taken?!_

The end of Jaune was nigh as the Ursa lunged forwards, no theatrics as it bared its fangs, ready to tear Jaune's throat out. What was strange was how the velocity of the bear wasn't going straight at the blond though, its mass seemingly floating sideways… oh wait, it was going sideways.

The Ursa had been struck solidly with something powerfully enough that it had died on impact, the disintegration process starting before the monster had even touched the ground.

Jaune stared at the dead carcasses, legs finally giving away as he fell onto his legs, shotgun clattering to the ground as he let go, his heartbeat so strong that it felt like it was in his head, the pounding heard in between his ears.

A hand reached over and picked up the shotgun beside him, inspecting it, eyes showing a sliver of respect.

"I see that at least you aren't willing to just lie there and die." Cinder commented, letting the gun slide from her fingers. "It was impressive, seeing you defend yourself."

"W-what are you doing here?" Sure, it wasn't the most polite of words for someone who had just saved his life, but it was the only ones that were on his mind, the image of the flashing teeth and endless void that was the Ursa's throat still frozen in his mind. Nevertheless, the woman standing in front of him didn't seem to take offense, in fact actually looking to the side and breaking eye contact first, the moment brief before her haughty mask slid back and she eyed the boy carefully.

"I was just… helping out around the area. I heard the gunshots and decided to investigate, fortunately for you."

Jaune let out a breath, the release of air seemingly helping Jaune collect his thoughts.

"Thank you." Jaune said simply, not going to be so petty as to deny Cinder something so simple. The dark-haired woman nodded, before turning towards the destroyed front of the bar.

"Come. I have a safe place for you." Cinder turned, offering her hand.

Jaune looked at the slim fingers placed in front of him. He reached up to grab them, his body almost flying up as the unexpected strength of Cinder became apparent. The blond let go of her hand though, and backed away, looking a little sheepish.

"Thank you, but I… I can't. Gl- Professor Goodwitch made me promise to stay here. I'm sure she'll be here any moment."

Cinder raised a single eyebrow, looking at the boy doubtfully.

"I think she may be indisposed at the moment. I'm sure I saw her leading a few… civilians to safety." She rested a hand on Jaune's shoulder, looking deep into his eyes. "I think that the Headmistress would prefer you safe and her take a little longer to find you than finding you torn apart by the Grimm." Again she raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

"That… sounds reasonable." Jaune said slowly, nodding as the woman turned and led him outside, the boy wincing a little at the sunlight overhead.

Funny, for an event so disastrous, Jaune would've thought it would occur when it was dark, not in broad daylight.

The two of them wasted no time, Cinder leading Jaune towards the safe house, only stopping when there were too many Grimm to avoid, and the woman was forced to deal with them, quickly and brutally.

During one of these stops, Jaune and Cinder were close to a burning building, which Jaune wasn't sure how that happened, seeing as how Grimm weren't really cognizant enough to really start fires. At least on purpose.

Like with many disasters, most of the people that ran past didn't spare a second glance, too busy trying to find safety for them and their families to start worrying about other people. But there were a few that stood there. Some of them just staring at the building, probably residents, wondering what to do now that their home was turning into a charred husk. Others were on their knees, crying for the same reason. Out of the small group in front of the building though, there was only one person who seemed to want to run back in, tears streaming down her face, screaming as two men stood in her way, holding her back. Getting closer, Jaune could hear the desperation in her voice, the raw fear.

"My child's in there! Please, let me go in, let me go in!" She screamed, punching, shoving, doing anything that would get her past the two standing in front of her. "I don't care if I die, _please_ , let me save my son!"

Cinder touched Jaune's shoulder, turning him away from the scene. "I've cleared the path for us," She said softly, not even glancing at the scene in front of her. Jaune pointed at the woman, his heart calling out for her.

"We should help her." Jaune murmured, finally bringing Cinder's attention towards the wailing in front of her. The long-haired woman shook her head, a visible frown on her face.

"There's no time for that. We need to get you to saf-"

"No time to save someone's life?" Jaune interrupted, looking up at Cinder, who visibly flinched when she saw his eyes. "That's... stupid." Jaune struggled to find words that could reflect what he wanted to say, but couldn't, the broiling emotions making it hard for him to think of anything at that moment. Cinder grit her teeth, knowing what was on the blond boy's mind. Jaune ignored the emotion on the woman's face, more focused on the mother's face, the look of anguish, the reckless selflessness that she was ready to do just to save her child.

 _Would my mother have been the same?_ Jaune wondered to himself, heartstrings constantly being tugged at the display. _If it had been reversed, if she had found me underneath the Grimm... would she have dived in to save me?_

"We can't." She repeated, one hand reaching out to grab Jaune's wrist. The boy jerked his arm away, taking a step back from her. "It's probably too late as it is," Cinder said calmly, trying to bring Jaune's emotions down. "We can't just risk our lives for someone who might already be... too far gone." For a brief second, Cinder thought that she had won Jaune over, a small flash of emotion appearing in his eyes before he shook his head, his chin almost dropping onto his chest.

"That doesn't mean we can't try." Jaune whispered, before turning around and taking off, running into the burning building.

"Jaune!" Cinder called out, anger and frustration mixed into the tone of her voice, taking a step forwards before the door frame collapsed, blocking her entrance. The woman was stuck outside of the building, left to scream in anger before taking off, not wanting to be seen by the authorities.

* * *

The whole building was on fire, and Jaune couldn't see a damned thing. With so many light sources, one would think that Jaune would have a better time navigating through the maze of broken halls and stairways, but found himself bumping into anything that wasn't on fire.

The only thing that the fire helped to do was really point to Jaune that he _shouldn't_ be hitting those parts of the wall.

The smoke was suffocating too, making it hard for Jaune to pull in more than a half lungful of air, before coughing and losing it all over again. His eyes kept watering from the smoke as well, making it harder and harder to get through the higher and higher he got.

By the time he was on the third floor of the building, Jaune probably had a dozen bruises, and more than a fair share of burns, which he stopped counting when he stopped being able to feel the heat.

At this point, Jaune was feeling like he was ready to give up. The weight of the fire around him was so suffocating, and it didn't help that it was getting harder and harder for Jaune to function. Every time he blinked, it took a little longer for his eyes to focus, and with every step that he took, his legs seemed to want to give in.

The gentlest touch on his shoulder brought his head up ever so slightly, as he found the image of one of his sisters, dark blonde hair framing her face as she smiled gently at him. Jaune tried to call out her name, but started to cough, the soot clogging up his throat making it difficult to do anything but breathe and swallow. The ghostly apparition shook her head, stroking her brother's head gently, trying to reassure him, trying to tell him that he didn't need to talk. Instead, she took his hand and lifted him to his feet, leading him into a room. As he got closer and closer, he began to hear the soft crying, and with that in mind, Jaune strode forward, his sister disappearing into smoke as he walked through her.

The child was sniffling as he lay on the floor, his chest rising and falling much slower than it should've. Without wasting any time, Jaune touched the little boy's shoulder, making him scream in surprise before breaking out into heavier sobs, knowing that someone had come for him.

"Mo-ommy," The little boy hiccupped, rubbing his eyes with his sooty hands. "Mommy!" He bawled, before quieting down as Jaune calmly rubbed his back, whispering for the boy to be strong, and that Jaune'll get him to his mother.

After getting the boy to calm down, Jaune led him towards the stairs, holding his hand the whole time. The blond attempted to draw the little kid's attention away from the fire around him, asking him simple questions about his friends and family.

"You have any brothers and sisters? No? How about aunts and uncles? Three? Wow, that's a lot there. They all treat you well? Good, I'm glad."

The talking wasn't just for the boy. As time progressed, Jaune found that it was getting harder and harder for him to breathe, his questions getting cut. Not only that, but even he felt... warm. Not hot, not like it should've been because he was in the middle of the fire, but warm, as if he was getting tucked into bed. The sleepy kind of warm.

It was only when the little boy jostled Jaune that he realized that he had almost dozed off. A long look to the side of Jaune revealed the boy, eyes drooping as well, but awake enough to know that they shouldn't be standing here. The sight of the little boy trying to brave through was enough to reinvigorate Jaune just enough to force his limbs to move a little more, getting past that one collapsed wall and finding the stairs that would lead to the ground floor.

Reaching out, Jaune touched the railing, half-running half-walking down the stairs with the boy in hand, intent on reaching the last floor.

One second, he was halfway down the stairs. The next second, he was falling off of them, the railing crumbling underneath his touch, sending him and the boy he was holding plummeting down towards the floor, the comfort of the stairs transforming into a death trap that Jaune wasn't prepared for.

Hugging the boy tight, Jaune closed his eyes, twisting himself impossibly so that he could cover the child, taking all of the damage along his back, sliding, bumping, smashing into the stairs over and over again until they landed at the bottom, Jaune sure that he had broken a rib or two in the process.

Still they tried to push on, Jaune practically hyperventilating as much as he was breathing. They went towards the back of the building, as he knew that the front door had collapsed the moment he entered the building, a bit of bad luck compounding the already bleak day.

Reaching the exit was a blessing, Jaune thought to himself, not sure if he would be able to hold out much longer. Sure, the door was collapsing in on itself as well, but there was a sizable hole, enough for the both of them to get through.

"Your mommy's waiting for you right outside, ok? Make sure you give her a big hug." Jaune said quietly, smiling encouragingly to the little boy.

Jaune gestured for the little boy to crawl through first, which he did, right after he stood up on his toes and hugged the waiter around his waist, murmuring a soft thanks. The blond smiled, watching to make sure that none of the debris would fall on top of the boy, and breathed a sigh of relief when he was sure that the child had gone all the way through. Jaune fell to his knees, half out of the need to crawl through the hole, and half out of the fact that he was so exhausted that he wasn't sure he could stand for much longer.

He got halfway through the crevice when he felt something grab his ankle, dragging him right back into the fires. Passing through one of the flames was brief, but even his dulled senses could tell that something was wrong, and Jaune screamed, the fire eating every breath he exhaled.

And suddenly, it was gone.

Everything stopped burning, and Jaune was lying on bare floor, gasping for breath, but actually being able to take in the precious oxygen that he needed to survive. The walls around him were still coated in flames, but in a perfect circle around him, there was nothing. No heat, no fire, almost no sound, as if someone had isolated him inside a perfect bubble.

And someone had. Someone who was standing over him, curious eyes looking straight at his prone body. Raising himself a little further, he saw details that should've never been on a face of a human.

The face was pale white, eyes were red, as if every single blood vessel inside had burst. Veins seemed to wrap themselves around her cheeks, sickly pulsing, almost framing the diamond between her eyes.

In an odd way, she was a beautiful sight. In a more normal way, she was frightening, and imposing, and remembering how she had pulled him out of safety and practically roasted him for a few seconds, she was something very much _not human_.

The woman approached Jaune slowly, making him scramble and sit up, before wincing and realizing that standing was probably out of the cards at the moment. Instead, she knelt down, her hand flowing out from under her and caressing Jaune's face, her pitch black eyes depthless. Jaune had the strangest feeling that if he stared too long into her eyes, he would find himself lost, and not in a good way.

"Such a strange child."

The quiet whisper seemed to penetrate into Jaune, making him shiver as she talked. His eyes snapped off of hers, darting left and right, before settling on her nose, which was definitely a safer sight than her soulless eyes.

"W-who are you?" Jaune's croak was weaker than he thought, the smoke coating his throat in a way that made him feel like he had swallowed a bucket of sand. His throat definitely didn't appreciate the attempt in speaking, protesting by almost closing up after the first words.

The woman's eyes flashed, something that Jaune could see even while he wasn't looking directly at her, and her cupped hand gripped tighter, her nails digging into his cheek. Jaune's eyes watered, and this time not from the smoke.

"Me?" She said in a ominous voice. " _I_... am Salem. Mother of the Grimm... and enemy to life itself." Her other hand rose up and grabbed his chin, pulling him a little closer.

 _Mother of Grimm?_ In his half delirium, Jaune imagined the woman popping out baby Grimm, commanding them to attack Vale. Without being able to stop himself, the boy giggled, making the woman in front of him arch her brow.

"I'm surprised you can find your situation so amusing, child." She smiled back, a humorless thing that seemed more appropriate sewn onto a doll than on a moving face. "Most people would be losing control of their bodily functions that this point." She hummed a little bit, turning his face this way and that. "Cinder might be on to something."

"Cinder?" The mention of the woman in the red dress startled Jaune enough for him to croak the word out. She cast a wry glance at him, scoffing.

"Cinder. Such a weakling." The woman sighed, one of her hands leaving Jaune's face to rest on her cheek, a solitary finger tapping slowly away. "She loses conviction... _much_ sooner than I had expected."

Suddenly his world spun upside down, righting itself as she lifted him up with one hand, her face twisted into a snarl.

"I guess I have you to thank for this." Jaune opened his mouth, struggling to say something, anything, but was interrupted when she tossed him to the side, his back hitting a nearby wall and making him scream in pain, his throat dying under the pressure.

She was on him again in an instant, straddling the boy, wrapping her hands around his throat.

"I usually don't like to get my hands dirty." She said conversationally, almost seeming to test out a squeeze on his throat, making him gasp. "Normally, I tend to let my children take care of my needs. But..." She frowned at his meager attempts to fight her off, kneeing him in the stomach to keep him down. "It seems you are very well protected. Even when you decide to wander into my territory... I find you out of my grasp." The woman tilted her head to the side a little, curiosity leaking through her stone visage. "Why?"

"I- I don't-" Jaune's hands flew up as he gasped the words out, trying to claw at the iron grip that she was holding, before he attempted to go for her eyes, desperately hoping that it would be enough to push her back or loosen her grip at the very least. Instead, she made a displeased sound in the back of her throat and lifted his head off the ground, before slamming it back down, making Jaune's vision flash white. Luckily, the blond waiter seemed to be in so much pain that the possible concussion didn't really faze him.

"I had thought it was strange," Salem continued talking, ignoring his protests. "How Cinder started to report to me less and less as she continued to infiltrate into Vale. Given, she was always secretive, but it's like she's completely clammed up in front of me." Her frown appeared again, her voice adopting a chiding tone. "And I allow for many things, but I do not approve of dissention in the ranks." She slammed Jaune's head against the ground again, making his hands drop to the floor.

"S-stop." Jaune whimpered out, tears forming in his eyes. "Please." Futilely, Jaune's hands rose up, fingers shaking. He was over wanting to die. He didn't want to leave his friends anymore. They were waiting for him. Professor... Glynda was waiting for him. Jaune had wanted to talk more with her, wanted to get closer to her. He wanted to get closer with everybody.

Salem stared at his pitiful face, her eyes flat as she seemed to document the boy's last moments.

"No."

Wood cracked and tore apart behind Salem, who turned around, eyes widening. The frown on her face got deeper and deeper with every noise, until she let go of his throat, letting him gasp in a lungful of sweet air as she hummed in displeasure.

"It seems someone is keeping a close eye on you, child." Salem raised a hand, gripping on a low support beam, wrenching it out. The ceiling groaned without the support, tearing itself apart and dropping on top of him, making Jaune scream in pain as parts of it flattened him, and other parts stabbed themselves through him.

A haze of minutes passed as Jaune's sight flickered in and out, Jaune having difficulty trying to keep himself conscious. For all the commotion that had driven Salem out, there didn't seem to be a person behind the noise. Every time his vision came to, he only saw the empty room around him, the exit so tantalizingly close, but too far for him to make it through.

 _Is this it?_ Jaune asked himself. Even the voice in his mind sounded feeble, taking too much effort to even form a coherent thought. _Am I going to die here?_

There were so many occasions in his life where he was so close to death, and managed to find a way through it. Although as he thought about it, every time he cheated death, it seemed he lost something that was close to him. His parents, his secrets, his _job_.

Maybe it was time to just let Death take his bounty.

Again, something tugged on his sleeves, jolting Jaune from the sleep that he didn't know he was drifting off to.

Two of his sisters, the oldest ones, were pulling on him, the expressions on their faces startlingly real for ghosts. They didn't want him to give up just yet. And while their pulling didn't do much physically for Jaune, it reignited a flame inside of him. His sisters can't see him die here. It would devastate them, ghosts or not.

Drawing on a strength he had never drawn from before, Jaune opened his mouth and screamed, a sound of desperation and determination. Muscles contracted and expanded, and Jaune found himself clawing at the floor, dragging himself from under the rubble. Every inch that he found was excruciating, the pieces that had impaled themselves through him screeching, reminding him that doing something like this was insane. He didn't care though. If he was going to die, he wasn't going to do it lying down.

He pushed on, ignoring his body, which screamed that it was hurting in every place, in every form. He ignored his mind, which said that getting out was impossible, and commanded it to pull on his arms, to drag him through the opening that beckoned for him.

The only thing he listened to was the beating of his heart, something he used to pace himself, to help him slide along those precious inches, getting towards the only goal that was on his mind.

"Jaune!"

Hands wrapped around him, lifting him up and placing him onto something soft. His mind was in such a disarray that it wasn't until Glynda brushed the hair away from his temple that he realized that he had crawled out of the hellhole, where the blonde witch had come after hearing the scream.

"Oh, gods, I-are you alright? Jaune, please answer me." Her words were frantic, her clothes sooty and in disarray, which was a little strange, but not really the foremost thought in Jaune's mind. "Please tell me you're alright."

Jaune summoned the last vestiges of his strength and raised his hand, brushing the one tear that was forming under her eye.

"The... little... boy?" He gasped out, wanting to know if his efforts had paid off, if he had been able to save at least one life. Glynda smiled wetly, nodding jerkily at Jaune's question.

"He's fine." She whispered, continuing to cradle Jaune's head, resting him in her lap. "He's with his mother now." The thought of that made Jaune ridiculously happy, the widening smile on his face showing it.

"Good." Jaune said, the word barely audible.

The word sent shivers down the professor's spine, her arms starting to shake as she realized what was happening.

"No, Jaune, please stay with me." She pleaded, lifting him off of one of her arms, one of her fingers touching his forehead. "I- I can't. I don't want to see someone else die, least of all you. P-please."

Jaune's smile faltered, seeing the person who was practically his second mother's distraught face, not wanting that to be the last thing he saw while on Remnant. He wanted to comfort her. He wanted to tell her to smile. But he found himself, finally, at the end of his strength. Instead he lie there limp, as Professor Goodwitch closed her eyes and tried to calm herself, her fingers almost vibrating over Jaune's forehead.

"F- for it's peace that we- that's not it. No, no, no. For i-immortality-I, no. _Dammit_." Jaune wasn't sure what Professor Goodwitch was trying to say, but seeing her so shaken was a sight that he never would've thought would happen. At least that was something Jaune could remember in his dying moments. A side of her that Jaune had never seen.

"I-I can't." Tears were falling freely from Glynda's face now, as she leaned over Jaune's head, the droplets hitting the boy's face. "Oh god I can't."

 _It's okay._ Jaune thought, hoping it would reach the woman. _Really._

Suddenly the woman stood up, lifting Jaune up with a wave of her riding crop, making him float in the air. Her face transformed into a mask of rage as she sped off, faster than some vehicles on the road beside them.

 _Is she taking me to the hospital...?_

Scenery blurred in front of his eyes, partially because of the speed that Glynda was at, and partially because it seemed like his vision was giving way, his sluggish mind slowly cutting out the nonessential parts of his body to keep his heart beating and his mind thinking.

Strangely, his sight restored itself for just a brief second after Glynda slowed herself down, revealing an office of some sort, Jaune resting on a large table. In front of him was a gray-haired man wearing spectacles, someone Jaune was sure he knew the name of, but couldn't remember at that moment.

The man gave one last glance to his side at someone Jaune couldn't see, before raising his cane, holding it up like a knight would hold his sword, before pointing it at Jaune, the tip getting closer and closer as the grayed man spoke.

"For it is in passing... that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become pillars of the world around us, to help raise... and protect those in need."

The rest of the words were lost to the boy, as the moment the cane touched Jaune's temple, he blacked out, the pain finally too much for him to bear.


	25. Two Steps Back

**A/N: I hope this chapter isn't too weird. This one was hard for me to do. Another A/N at the bottom. Hope y'all think it's okay :)**

 **That guy: Second best chapter? Not first? K.**

 **Mangetsu: …No. I can't. XD**

 **Guest 1: *Starts theme of twilight zone***

 **Guest 2: Lul, I completely forgot that's what happens when you activate Aura.**

 **MoreOremoeemore: :)**

 **Woop: I sure hope so XD**

* * *

Dreams weren't something of real importance to Jaune. Normally his dreamscape was pretty benign, something that was hardly worth mentioning. Even his nightmares were something that barely rated a passing glance. This time was different. The dream was hard to describe, and if Jaune was forced to shape his dream into words, he would say that a feeling was constantly attacking him, suffocating him. It wasn't that he _had_ a feeling, but rather an emotion was lashing out at him, as if anger or despair was attacking him. Tossing and turning, it was only a matter of time that Jaune would wake up, finding no sanctuary in his mind.

It was starting to feel like Jaune ended up in the hospital more times than he's been in his own apartment. As he came to, it was in a way that was much slower than what was described when people woke up from nightmares in movies. It was a state of relaxation to a state of more and more tenseness, the feeling only subsiding when he heard the steady beeping of the heart monitor, relaxing again with the thought that he was in a hospital bed.

 _Heh. I wonder if they've just started to reserve a bed for me at this point_. Jaune thought to himself groggily, cracking open his eyes and wincing at the bright light shining into his eyes.

That was a big difference from the last time that he was hospitalized. Sure, there was a window there, but it wasn't so close to his bedside, not allowing any of the sunlight to hit him directly in the face. It took a little while for Jaune to get used to the glare, one of his arms automatically coming up and shielding his eyes, only lowering when he slowly regained his vision.

Another difference was the amount of people that were surrounding his bed. Namely, there was no one around him, the room he was staying in actually quiet, the only noises being the machinery that was monitoring him. The blond took a casual glance around, noting the amount of differences between his last room and this one, finding this room to be a little bigger, and have more beds. The machinery looked a little weird too, there being a lot of monitors with strange symbols and abbreviations that Jaune couldn't make heads or tails out of, a little uncomfortable with the amount of things clipped onto his body.

The room wasn't white, which was strange, seeing as how Jaune had always imagined that hospitals took their time to douse their interiors with white paint, making everything inside look sort of ethereal, as if one had already taken a step towards leaving Remnant. This room was a warmer color, a quiet blue with a few dark red accents, leaving Jaune feeling both relaxed a little cautious, not sure what kind of room he was in any more.

"I see you're awake, Mr. Arc."

Jaune physically jumped at hearing those words, the wires attached to him rattling as they hit each other, bouncing around haphazardly. Curtains parted around him and revealed a man of indescribable age, both young and old at the same time. He seemed to be somewhere around his fifties… but maybe not. He also seemed to look like a man of immeasurable energy, but clearly demonstrated patience and a calm movement that betrayed nothing, a mug lifting gracefully towards his lips as he slowly took a sip, eyes steadily on Jaune as he waited for… something.

The Headmaster of Beacon himself, the enigmatic Ozpin. Jaune was able to pin him down due to a lot of the reputation that the man had cultivated in Vale, hearing hundreds of stories of hundreds of people about who the man was. Everyone who had even heard of Vale as a kingdom knew the man, and seemed to have at least one tall tale about his achievements, and rumors of what he can or can't do.

Looking at the man sitting beside him, Jaune started to doubt in some of the stories. Primarily, the fact that many people claimed that they weren't true, or just exaggerations. The cane leaning against the man's chair gleamed against the morning sun, causing Jaune to tear his sight away from Ozpin.

"W-what—" Jaune started coughing, his throat protesting at the fact that he tried to speak, closing up on him momentarily. A hand hovered in front of him, a cup of water offered to Jaune, who gladly took it and started to drink, the muscles in his throat beginning to loosen up with every gulp that he took. As his body started to process the water, and his mind started to work a little better, Jaune started to take note of the injuries that he had accumulated, knowing that he had racked up quite the count when he was trying to save that little boy. Something was wrong though, his mind whispered to him. Blue eyes widened quickly, Jaune moving rapidly as he started to pat up and down his body, quickly tearing off some of the wires that had been attached to him.

Standing up, Jaune loosened his hospital gown, letting it fall to the floor as he surveyed the damage on his body… and finding nothing.

Sure, there were still the old injuries that he had gotten, like the ones from fighting the Beowulves, and a few nicks and scratches from other past 'adventures'. But when it came to the burns and bruises and cuts that he _should_ have on his body from running headfirst into a burning building?

There was nothing.

"H-how long was I out?" Jaune gasped, craning his neck backwards to try and look at his back, which was as spotless as his front. He turned towards the Headmaster, face flushing red as he realized that he had just disrobed in front of the man. A quick scramble was enough to salvage a fraction of his lost dignity, the boy clumsily tying the robe back to cover himself.

"You were brought in two days ago," Professor Ozpin said, his eyes thankfully having stayed on Jaune's face throughout the whole thing. "Usually, you would be monitored at the Vale General Hospital, but instead, we have decided to keep you monitored at Beacon at the moment, due to some… extenuating circumstances." The man's eyes crinkled in amusement as he took another sip out of his mug, the quiet exhale masking the slight smile on his face. "I can understand that the shock could cause… erratic behavior."

Jaune blushed at the words, muttering some half-apology to the man before getting back into his bed, not bothering to use the paper thin sheets to cover himself. Strangely, although Jaune could hear the groaning of the air conditioning that was being blasted into the room, he didn't feel a hint of cold. He actually felt kind of warm, now that he thought about it.

"Two days, huh." Jaune muttered to himself, looking down at his lap. While he was out for two days, that didn't really explain how all of his injuries seemed to have vanished. After all, there were some seriously bad things that happened to him. If Jaune recalled correctly, he should've had a few holes in his torso, big enough that people would be able to see through him if necessary.

Yet, nothing.

Jaune clutched his head, although he didn't feel a headache coming. It all didn't make sense to him, but he had a feeling that he could solve this puzzle if he put the right pieces into place. The boy glanced at Professor Ozpin, who was sitting there as if he had done so the whole day, happily humming a tune while holding his mug in his lap.

Why was he here? Why was one of the most powerful men on Remnant sitting next to Jaune as if it was nothing, as if the blond was someone important to the man?

"Why're you here?" Jaune asked callously, too tired to try and phrase the question politely. The older man made a noise of amusement, his fingers tapping against the side of the mug as he held it. The small glasses that the grayed man wore shined as he tilted his head downwards, his sharp eyes peering over the rims.

"Why do you think?" The man questioned back, making Jaune furrow his brow. "In fact, a more clarifying question could be, why are _you_ here? And why are _we_ here? But I think that the question that will lead to all of your answers should be… what was the last thing you remembered?"

What _was_ the last thing Jaune remembered? His mind struggled to go back two days ago, to try and remember the events leading to him landing in the Beacon infirmary.

He remembered huddling inside of the bar, waiting for Professor Goodwitch to rescue him. He remembered the Grimm invading, as well as Cinder saving him and trying to lead him towards a safe place. He remembered the crying mother, and arguing with Cinder to save the kid, and running into the burning building.

He remembered saving the little boy, and leading him out, someone beside him whispering to him on how to get the boy out.

His heart seemed to pick up the pace the longer Jaune thought about that day, the heart monitor picking up the increase in anxiety.

What had happened afterwards? Did he crawl out after the little boy? No, that can't be right, he didn't remember getting stabbed through the torso any time before that, but he also _distinctly_ remembered something going through him. The energy it took for him to try and conjure up the memory was stressing him out, drops of sweat falling from his brow, his hands starting to visibly shake.

Fingers came close to Jaune, aiming at his neck, and the boy snapped into sudden action, one of his arms flailing outwards, slapping the fingers away from him.

The room came back to him in a rush, the Headmaster looking at Jaune calmly, his hand falling back and finding rest on the man's knee.

"There seems to be a distinct shape of bruises around your neck." The man said calmly, apparently not bothered by the fact that Jaune had all but attacked the man's hand just a moment before. "It's strange, because the bruises should have faded by now, even without Aura."

 _Bruises? Aura? Wh-_

Jaune remembered.

He remembered the woman that had a grip of iron, pulling him back into his death. The woman that didn't look like anything he had ever seen, more fearsome than any Grimm he had ever seen or heard of. He remembered her low, seductive voice that wouldn't have seen out of the blue in a cabaret, but instead was used to instill a feeling of despair and hopelessness in a situation that was already filled with both.

He remembered her casual viciousness, the serene expression on her face that didn't seem very appropriate to the task of outright murdering him.

"Jaune!"

He remembered how tired, how hopeless, how _terrified_ he had been in the presence of her, how difficult it was to breathe just standing next to her.

"Jaune!"

He remembered so much. He remembered too much. He remembered-

"Jaune."

His name was accompanied by something warm wrapping around his shoulders, and his arms, and his whole body, snapping him out of his trance. He didn't realize he was crying until he felt the tears fall onto his cheeks. Faintly, his hearing returned to him, the rushing of blood finally quieting down, the heart monitor coming in first, the sound of its beat more appropriate for a rock band than it was for someone's heartbeat.

"It's alright Jaune. I've got you."

And Jaune could see again, over his tears and his sprinting mind, Jaune could see blonde hair and the familiar scent of jasmine and vanilla, something he always caught a slight waft of when he hugged a certain Headmistress of Beacon after a heart-to-heart. It was familiar. And it reminded him of something better. Something safer.

Jaune's hands lifted, and he wrapped himself into her embrace, letting his guard drop and his shoulders, head, body shake, letting the fear flow out of him, to be shouldered on Professor Goodwitch.

"I've got you." She repeated, rubbing slow circles into his back, continuing to say things that Jaune couldn't exactly hear, but needed to listen for to calm down.

Separating was harder than Jaune thought, the sudden absence of warmth making Jaune shake a little. It quickly subsided when he felt his hand grasped tightly in Goodwitch's hand, allowing him to focus again. All throughout the whole… episode, the Headmaster sat there, calm and unflappable, the mug once again lifting into the air.

"I-" Jaune started to say, only to be stopped by the Headmaster's solitary finger, the boy blinking as the man procured a plate of chicken nuggets from what seemed like thin air, placing them on Jaune's lap.

"It's been a while since you've had a full meal. Unfortunately, those were all I could procure at such an odd time, but I hope it will suffice."

Jaune stared at the plate, at the little dinosaurs that were lying there, neatly placed to portray something. The picture was there, but Jaune couldn't really see it, and wasn't sure he really wanted to. All he knew was that the man had handed him a pile of chicken nuggets, something only his parents had done when they knew he needed a real pick-me-up, served with a smile.

His stomach agreed with the thought, grumbling loudly to announce that it was ready to be fed, and was quick to demand a sacrifice for its hunger.

Tenderly Jaune picked up the first nugget, ignoring his obvious hunger, and looked at the man sitting in front of him, uncertain expression clear on the blond's face. Professor Ozpin simply kept his small smile, waiting patiently for Jaune to ingest the tiny T-Rex chicken nugget. The first bite was tentative, flavor almost exploding into his mouth as he took it in, closing his eyes briefly as he chewed. The second one went down his gullet a little faster, the third one quickly following.

It wasn't long before the plate had been completely cleaned of its nuggets, Jaune devoting his time stuffing his face with as many as he could, as fast as he could. It was a little harder with only one hand, but he managed to do it in a quick and concise manner, even go so far as to smile a little after he finished, not caring that he probably had a ton of crumbs all around his mouth.

"Thank you." Jaune whispered, happy that his nerves had settled. The man simply smiled and nodded, leaning forwards to grab the tray and remove it from Jaune's lap, transferring it to his own.

"Now, I'm sure this subject is a little… difficult for you," the Headmaster said, tilting his mug towards the various machinery surround Jaune. "But it is of the utmost importance that we know what happened to you while you were in that building." Jaune looked nervously at the Ozpin, whose fierce stare seemed to go straight through Jaune.

"Ozpin." Professor Goodwitch said the man's name sharply, turning to him. Her expression was hidden from Jaune's angle, but something was communicated between them, and the grayed man sighed, nodding.

"But, I guess we could leave that for another day." Professor Ozpin stood up, taking a hold of his cane and tapping it against the metal frame of the bed. "After all, your memories won't simply just up and run away any time soon." The man chuckled quietly, an inside joke that only he seemed to understand as he turned around and headed out of the room, his cane punctuating every other step that he took. He stopped for a second, turning to look at the other adult in the room. "Spend some time with him Glynda. A little bit of company never hurt anyone. And you won't have to worry about any interruptions today." He leaned over, but his whisper was still loud enough for Jaune to hear. "I've given strict instructions to keep everyone else out to give Mr. Arc some rest." The woman nodded, settling back down in her seat, having half-risen when the Headmaster had begun to head out.

Jaune watched him leave with Glynda, the two of them keeping their eyes on him until the doors to the infirmary swung shut, clicking shut to give the two of them a bit of privacy.

The blond boy looked at his… at Professor Goodwitch, who looked back. Her expression was soft, gentle, a small smile on her face as she looked at him, her hand still wrapped comfortingly on his.

"How're you feeling now, Jaune?" She asked quietly, the worry actually showing on her face. Jaune thought about the question, and how to answer. Physically, he's never felt better. Mentally…

There was something lurking behind his mind, and he wasn't sure he wanted to poke at whatever it was.

"You were the one who saved me, right?" Jaune decided not to answer her question, hoping that by deflecting he wouldn't have to think about whether or not he was really 'alright'. The blonde witch frowned a little, the topic change obvious enough that anyone would've been able to spot it. Nevertheless, she nodded, her eyes flicking downwards briefly before she answered.

"Yes. You were hurt badly, Jaune. And… and the only thing I could do for you was to… activate your Aura." She said the words as if she had committed the worst of sins, looking away from the boy. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Jaune asked, wondering what she meant. "Why sorry? Are you… are you sorry that you saved my life?"

"No!" She surged up, hand tightening around his as she said the word, eyes fierce. "I would never be sorry about something like that."

"Then what?" Jaune demanded, lowering his eyes to their clasped hands. "What do you mean by sorry?"

The blonde teacher didn't answer, at least not right away.

"Activating Aura is… a risky thing." Glynda said. "There are certain factors and… side effects that come with having Aura."

"For example, activating Aura comes with a sort of… force field that protects you for a certain amount of time, until you take too much damage." Jaune nodded. He wasn't a Huntsman, but he still knew the basics of aura. It wasn't like it was some closely guarded secret or anything. What he didn't understand was why the professor needed to rehash something like this.

"What is Aura activation?" Professor Goodwitch said, looking at Jaune. "Aura activation is when someone who has already unlocked their Aura decides to reach in and… sort of invigorate the soul. Awaken it, to put it simple terms." She shook her head, a small frown on her face. "There's not a lot we really know about Aura's and the effects of activating it, but… there is a few things that we can say for sure about it." Jaune looked at the woman expectantly, his interest peaked from the new knowledge. The professor took a glance at Jaune to see him fully invested in the conversation, and sighed.

"Aura tends to lead to misfortune."

"…What?" Jaune tilted his head to the side. Professor Goodwitch nodded, continuing to talk.

"There is… a very noticeable trait that people with aura have. No matter the personality, the occupation, the… anything." Another sigh left her. "Misfortune follows aura like a shadow, always present and ready to strike."

Jaune crinkled his brow. "I- I don't get it." He confessed, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, having aura makes you.. unlucky? Is that it?"

"Not exactly." The professor shook her head, biting her lip as she tried to explain this to Jaune. "For several centuries, people have constantly studied aura, and the workings behind it. What they've found is that something… happens to people after they've have their aura unlocked. A change, not in their personalities, not in the physique, although those two changes also happen fairly often." The professor turned to look outside the window, an expression that Jaune couldn't name resting on her face.

"Things start to happen to people after their aura's are unlocked. Disasters strike, famines happen… Grimm start hunting." Professor Goodwitch closed her eyes, reciting something that she had memorized from heart. "The power of Aura has changed the destiny of Mankind. It has unlocked the potential of something greater… but also opened something we can never lock away. As far as we have grown under the protection of aura, we have continued to edge the line of collapse." The professor opened her eyes, looking straight at Jaune.

"Do you ever wonder why we don't just simply unlock everyone's aura the moment they were born?"

Jaune hesitated in answering the question, before he nodded tentatively. "I've thought, yes." The blonde woman nodded, lips pursed.

"It's not an uncommon question. Many have bandied it around, and civilians ask that kind of question every day. Why don't we have aura? Why is it that only the select few can have this protection?" The woman brushed her bangs to the side. "To be honest, there used to be a time where everyone _did_ have aura. It was a long time ago, but it had happened." Her expression grew stormy, her words quieting down. "It's a history lesson taught to all Huntsmen and Huntresses towards the end of their time at Beacon, as a reminder that you cannot save everyone, even if you unlocked every dying, disabled, diseased person you find."

"What happened?" Jaune whispered, wanting to know.

"We perished." Professor Goodwitch said simply. "We swelled to a population of hundreds of thousands, started to create lands and cities to live in… and disaster struck. We, as a society, aren't completely sure what had happened, but it was as if people had just disappeared from thin air. The people that didn't just vanish were torn apart by Grimm that have never been documented before, and have never been seen since."

"Civilization as we know it failed."

The words seemed daunting, the hairs on Jaune's arms standing up, an eerie feeling surrounding the two of them.

"Aura has been described as a lot of things," Glynda continued explaining, breaking the tense mood for a second. "It's been seen as a shield to the soul, an enhancer for mankind. But there's one description that I like to think of when I consider Aura." She gazed up towards the ceiling, seemingly lost in a trance.

"Points of destiny." She said. "I heard it being called that one day, long ago, and the words just stuck to me. It's hard to describe it to you as you are now, but the more you come into contact with others like you, the more you realize how inconsistent Aura can be."

"There are moments where you can take a mountain collapsing on top of you, and walk out of it as if it had been made out of vapors, while other times, you take one grazing blow and the Aura shatters." Glynda spread out her fingers, showing a visual representation of what she was describing. "It makes you think of whether or not Aura is really there to protect you, or… lead you to a certain destiny."

Jaune blinked rapidly, starting to lose grasp of this conversation. It seemed all very strange to him, and by the expression on Professor Goodwitch's face, she knew how strange she must have sounded too. The woman chuckled a little, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry. I must be sounding a little… overzealous. Forgive me if I've lost you. Blame it on the professor in me." She reached over with her free hand and pet Jaune's hand.

"Let me try again, in simpler terms." She raised a single finger up in the air. "Aura is, and will always be, something that attracts danger. There are very few, _very_. Few. Huntsmen and Huntresses who live to die peacefully. Given, Aura has a way of elongating one's lifespan, but a majority of Huntsmen… die before they see their grandchildren."

"This is also the same case with groups of Huntsmen. Every Academy has a strict quota of how many people can be accepted and reside in them at one time, making sure that we do not have too many people with Aura at the same time."

"What happens when there's too many people with Aura in the same place?" Jaune asked. Professor Goodwitch shrugged, a rare gesture for someone so usually composed.

"It is uncertain. The last… incident involved the first Great War, while the incident before that caused an entire island to disappear of the face of Remnant." Again the woman shrugged. "We don't know for a fact what will happen, we just know that it will end badly."

Jaune's back hit against the headboard of the bed, mind swirling with information. Professor Goodwitch gave him a little time to ingest what he had just learned before gently pulling him back to her, making sure that he could hear the next words.

"It's not just some vague curse for you to look for in the distant future either, Jaune." She said, his eyes turned to her, the question not needed to be asked. "It's also a warning for everyone and anyone who wants their aura unlocked. You'll notice it soon Jaune. Things will happen around you. Things that will make you want to help, or if you don't, will involve you anyways. Your life will constantly be endangered, or at least that will be what it feels like during the first few months." Glynda took Jaune's other hand and help both of them, looking deep into his eyes, making sure that he understood.

"The reason why I apologized for activating your Aura is because of this. Some people do not view Aura as a blessing, but as a curse. And that's why it is frowned upon to unlock someone's aura without permission."

"Even if it's to save their life?" Jaune asked, clearly objecting to this point of view.

"Especially so." The blonde answered back. "After all, why would you ever want to experience the pain of death twice?"

"That's stupid." Jaune said firmly, gripping Glynda's hands tightly. "You saved my life, Glynda. And I will always be grateful to you."

The woman smiled, the worry lines around her face disappearing as she did so. "Thank you Jaune," She said. "Even if I know you wouldn't mind, it's nice to hear it."

"Of course," Jaune said, smiling back. "I'd be stupid to get mad at you for saving me." The comment made her laugh, a warm feeling suffusing through Jaune as she did so.

Finally, Jaune was able to let go of her hands, feeling slightly better about himself. There was a lot to think about, what Professor Goodwitch said, but one thing really stuck in his mind.

"So, I've really got Aura now, huh?" Jaune murmured, looking at his hands. "I don't really feel any different. Maybe a little lighter."

"Most people don't." The professor said. "To be honest, there shouldn't be much of a change. There wasn't anything _added_ to you after all, your soul has simply become a little more adamant in keeping your body safe." Jaune bobbed his head up and down, his mind still having a hard time believing that he had gained an aura—one step closer to reaching that everlasting goal of becoming a Huntsman.

Or at least, it was what he _had_ always wanted to become.

Standing on the edge of life and death twice now, Jaune wasn't sure if he was willing to put his life on the line for the rest of his life. Saving people was... right, but when it came to everything else? The Grimm out to kill you for no reason other than killing you, or crazy psychopaths that gave cryptic advice...

That part of being a Huntsman made Jaune's stomach roll. And it wasn't as if Jaune could pick and choose which parts of a Huntsman he wanted to be.

The silence had stretched on long enough for Professor Goodwitch to worry a little. She leaned in close, looking at Jaune, who was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice her moving. The urge to comfort him was still running strong in her veins, and the only way she could think of helping him out of his dark thoughts were a few simple, warm touches, something that seemed to affect him greatly. Upon closer inspection, Glynda found marks on his cheeks similar to marks made by bird talons, and raised a hand to touch them, wondering how they haven't healed.

The movement caught Jaune's eyes like no other movement had, a woman's hand reaching out towards his cheek, where they would claw and pierce his skin, make him scream before making him scream even more. He didn't want that.

His body moved faster than he could ever imagine it to, pressing himself as flat against the backboard of the bed, both of his hands jumping upwards to shield his face, knees drawn up protectively. He tried to quiet any noise that would come out of his throat, but a small 'no' still managed to leave, the breathy whisper causing the hand to falter.

The hand withdrew itself, falling beside Professor Goodwitch, whose pained face made it obvious that seeing Jaune like this hurt her deeply. Frustration took over, then anger and indignation at why someone would do something like this to the boy, hurt and damage the boy more than he already was.

Whoever did this was an absolute monster, Glynda thought as she sat there beside the huddled Jaune, unable to help him, not knowing what gesture would trigger him or not. And that's what hurt more than anything.

* * *

 **A/N: Again, I feel like there's a lot of exposition, but I was sort of interested in covering the subject of Aura, and the ever present thought of 'why doesn't everyone just have their Aura's unlocked? Wouldn't that make things easier?' Hopefully my explanation doesn't seem way out of left field, and I assumed that the situation would be the best time for it.**


	26. Conflicting Desires

**A/N: Alright. Just a warning to those people who actually read A/N's. I'm going to be putting ALL of my stories on a hiatus for a little while. Something... big is coming up, and it'll probably take up all my time. Hopefully, the next time I upload a chapter, I'll have everything sorted out, and I'll be able to explain what was going on. On that note though, I hope everyone enjoys, and I'll see y'all around. :)**

 **Weird One: Yeah, no kidding XD**

 **That guy: Plot Armor. Exactly. XD**

 **Guest 1: It's never really been explained in the show, so it's not like I'm really wrong per se. Just a different view on it.**

* * *

Jaune had never seen a sliding door for a bedroom before, so it's not like anyone would blame him for jumping at it when the door slid open, apparently on its free will. Jaune turned to look at the blonde professor standing beside him, his eyes wide.

"… It seems I forgot to mention that the doors on every room are controlled through your scrolls." Professor Goodwitch said, lifting up her scroll and tapping it with a forefinger. The door slowly slid shut after a few seconds, the lock clicking quietly. "We've already sent an authorization code into your scroll, and any of your friends can send you their codes for their own rooms as well."

The waiter nodded, pulling out his scroll and fiddling with it, ears perking up when he heard the door open again, sending a tentative smile at the professor.

"Perfect." The woman said encouragingly, nodding at him. She pointed at a few other buttons on the scroll screen in front of Jaune, explaining a few other options that would be helpful for Jaune to remember.

"This is the lock button." She said, pointing at the button that looked like, well, that looked like a lock. "Use it when you want a bit of privacy. Your roommates can still come in of course, but they'll usually knock if the door's locked." She pointed to another button. "This is a knock function. You should use this if the door's locked, or if it's a room that you don't have an access code to." Jaune tilted his head a little, looking at the icon.

"Why wouldn't I just knock instead?" Jaune asked, looking back at Professor Goodwitch. The witch nodded, spreading out her hands.

"Sometimes it's easier to just knock. However, there are a few students that have a tendency to wear objects that block their hearing, like headphones or earmuffs. The knock function will send a notification through the scrolls of everyone inside the room, which will help attract a bit more attention when you need it. Or you can just message them to open the doors. Either one works for us." Glynda finished, shrugging. Jaune nodded gratefully, absorbing as much information as he possibly could.

"Thank you." Jaune said in a quiet voice, looking at the door in front of him. It was nothing like the door that guarded his apartment room, made out of cheap wood and creaked whenever it opened. Touching the door, the boy found it to be made out of some sort of polished hardwood, framed in stainless steel. Probably reinforced due to the fact that everyone in Beacon could probably tear through a regular door without meaning to.

With a press of a button, the door slid open again, almost completely silent, allowing Jaune to step through and look at the room, head turning slowly to look at the room he would be staying in for a few days.

Jaune wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but knowing a number of Hunstmen and Huntresses, he was pleasantly surprised to see that the place wasn't as crazy as he thought it would be.

The room was spacious, which was understandable when it was meant to house four teenagers at once. The four beds were spread out, two on each wall, one of the pairs seeming to be a little closer to each other than the other. Bedside tables, a large desk at the side, and a closet was also spread out amongst the room, making the large interior seem a little smaller than it should've been. A few articles of clothing, and some books on the side also gave it a nice homely feeling, the air of people living in the room helping to bring Jaune's tension a little lower.

"Your bed will be over there," Professor Goodwitch pointed to the far right at a bed with olive green sheets on it, decorated with gold trimming. "Miss Nikos said that her teammate was willing to let you stay for the break while she went to visit her family back in Vacuo."

"I'll remember to thank her when she gets back." Jaune said quietly, looking at the bed. It made him a little uncomfortable, the thought of sleeping in someone else's bed. After all, this room belonged to a team, filled with memories and experiences… was Jaune going to ruin anything by staying here? Probably not, but that didn't stop Jaune's mind from going there. Not to mention the fact that being in a room that wasn't _his_ made him feel… off.

Sure he had only been staying at the apartment for a little over half a year, but it had been _his_ apartment. He went through a bit there, and could navigate the place with his eyes closed, which he basically had to do a few times because of the fact that he hadn't been able to pay the electrical bill.

This room, while much better than the his whole entire apartment, would take some time to get used to. The layout was different, there would probably be a lot more noise with his temporary roommates, and even the _smell_ was something he wasn't sure he could fully agree with.

Thinking about his apartment got him into thinking about the bar, and that was a one way street down to depressing thoughts.

Grimm had destroyed the front side trying to get Jaune, and the damage had been extensive. Jaune knew the owner would have a hard time paying for repairs, remembering the nights of frustration from the old man when he found that he had to be late for a rent payment. if the bar closed down, Jaune would be a out of a job. He had a bit of cash tucked away, but that would only be enough for a month, maybe two for rent. He could always ask his friends for some help of course, and he had a feeling that the professor would be glad to house him for a little while.

He just didn't like the thought of it.

Everyone needs help sooner or later, but that doesn't make Jaune feel any better about himself. He had always been the type to try and lead his own life and deal with his problems by himself, even when he knew he was in the deep end. Spending time at the bar, with all the people who were able to care about someone like him, helped him change perspectives, even if it was only a little. Relying on them to help him to that extent?

That was where Jaune put his foot down.

Glynda rested a hand on Jaune's shoulder, a comforting smile on her face. "It'll only be for a few days while we make sure you're alright Mist—Jaune." He returned her smile, nodding silently before setting down his bag next to the bed stand.

"If—If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me." Professor Goodwitch said, pushing up her glasses and turning her head slightly away. "And… I am always up to talk if you ever need it." Jaune felt a warmth rise up into his chest, unable to stop himself from blinking rapidly, a buildup in the corners of his eyes subsiding successfully. Taking the dive, Jaune let out a deep breath, turning to his friend.

"What happens after you let me go?" Jaune asked in a small voice, unsure of the answer that Professor Goodwitch could give to him. She turned to look at the boy, who didn't look like the strong eighteen-year old that she knew. The same boy that seemed confident and wise beyond his years stood in front of her, looking like an eighteen-year old who had been knocked down by the world, having lost everything that had meaning to him. The blonde woman arched an eyebrow at the boy, making sure that her smile wouldn't show on her face.

"What do you mean Mr. Arc? I'm sure the bar will give you a few weeks to recover, but they will need you back sooner or later."

"W-what do you mean?" Jaune asked, heart thumping in his chest. Hope, an unfamiliar emotion, kept rising through him, no matter how hard he tried to quash the feeling down. Surely she meant something else, and not what he was thinking. That doesn't happen to him.

"Well," Professor Goodwitch started off lightly. "I heard that someone had made an _appreciable_ donation towards getting the bar rebuilt. I've also heard that many of the patrons were devastated, and happily found ways to help the place get back on its feet." She tapped her chin and looked upwards thoughtfully. "I'm sure I also caught wind of the Headmaster of Beacon pulling a few strings to railroad the reconstruction of the building. Rumors, of course, but…" She looked at the gaping boy, a grin on her face. "I have a good feeling about them."

Jaune found his feet moving before his mind could registering what was happening, his arms finding purchase around the older woman, pulling her as close to him as possible. To the professor's credit, she didn't hesitate to embrace him either, letting him know that she welcomed the gesture. The boy didn't speak for a second, letting his throat clear itself before he spoke.

"Thank you." He whispered, squeezing her gently. Glynda returned the squeeze by rubbing his back, chin resting on his shoulder.

"Anytime Jaune."

They stayed like that, bathing in the warm glow that they gave each other, happy to find and give comfort for as long as the other needed it. So lost were they in their own world that the near silent sliding of the doors went unnoticed to them, only breaking apart when someone awkwardly coughed, the sound loud enough to startle the two out of their hug.

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha squeaked out, face blooming red, her teammates lurking a little bit behind her. Professor Goodwitch and Jaune were no better, faces almost the shade of cherries as they were caught in their tender moment. Jaune could see Ren with a soft smile on his face, while Nora was hopping up and down to try and get a view over the Amazon, small sounds of effort escaping her every time she jumped.

"That's… quite alright," The professor said, adjusting her glasses as she turned to the boy next to her. "And that is why the knock function is particularly helpful, Mr. Arc." She hesitated for a second, before tapping Jaune's scroll. "Remember, I'm just a call away." Jaune nodded at her, letting her know that he understood. Professor Goodwitch stared at him for another second. She sighed, and leaned in to hug Jaune one more time before she left.

The group in front of the doorway separated to let her through, before coalescing again and flowing into the room—their room.

"I hope you're comfortable." Pyrrha said nervously, hands playing with one of her bangs. "Let me know if you need anything." She added quickly, taking a step towards Jaune.

"Thank you," The boy replied, unable to help himself from taking a step back. "But I wouldn't want to bother you guys anymore than I already am."

Nora scoffed, waving her hand as she skipped towards him. "Psh, bother, smawther, puh-lease. We're doing this 'cause we want to!" Jaune winced at how strong the Valkyrie's grip was, keeping both of his hands in a vice.

"R-really?" He gasped out, trying to reassure himself that the cracking that he was hearing wasn't his bones breaking. He was rescued when Ren approached his partner, hand gently prying hers off of Jaune's, a stern message passing between them before she stepped back a little sheepishly.

"Of course Jaune. You've helped out a lot of people here, and I'm sure anyone in Beacon wouldn't have a second thought about helping you out." Ren replied, tenderly holding Jaune's hands and making sure they weren't permanently deformed. "We are happy to have you here, Jaune." Nora nodded in the background, which somehow seemed to involve her whole entire body while mouthing an apology at the same time.

"Thanks guys." Jaune said happily, rubbing his hands to get the blood flowing back into them. "So, could I maybe get a tour of the academy? Maybe where the dining room and the laundry rooms are? I wouldn't want to make you guys do my laundry after all—"

"Did someone say, laundry?!"

The doors to the room slid open, revealing a huge grin and a large mane of blonde hair, accompanied by three girls almost hanging off of her, struggling to pull her back out and having next to no effect.

"Yang, the professor said to leave Jaune alone for a little while, don't you listen?" Ruby said, digging her heels into the floor to stop Yang's progress. It didn't really work, Yang barely affected by the weight. "Hey Jaune, how're you doing?" The younger sister grunted, having been picked up by the elder sister and tossed onto a nearby bed. Nora jumped up at the occasion and cheered, jumping onto the bed as well, smothering the tiny girl.

"Hey there guys. I'm fine, by the way, thanks for coming to see me." Jaune greeted. Blake and Weiss stepped out from behind Yang, Blake adjusting her bow while Weiss smoothed out her dress, pretending that they hadn't also been dangling off of the blonde.

"I'm glad to hear that." Weiss said primly, giving Jaune a critical once over to make sure he wasn't lying. Jaune shifted uncomfortably, resisting the urge to adjust the collar on his button-up, scratching the bandage on his cheek. Still, the girl narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms as she noticed something off about him. "I heard that you had unlocked your Aura."

Jaune squirmed under her gaze, having a feeling that her line of question wasn't going to be an enjoyable one. "Yes." He said, not wanting to say anything else in fear of giving away something unintentionally. The girl nodded once, humming thoughtfully before pointing at Jaune's neck and cheek, where the stark white bandages covered the marks that Salem had given him.

"Then why do you still have bandages on you? Shouldn't your Aura have healed all of your injuries by now?"

"Uh. Actually, there were some… _really_ bad injuries." Jaune stuttered nervously, clearing his throat. "It's why I'm still in Beacon. To make sure that my Aura'll heal me up properly. The bandages are just there to help the process out."

It had taken a good hour of running it by Professor Goodwitch, but he had finally memorized the excuse well enough to give them a perfectly reasonable excuse, silently glad that he hadn't messed it up.

Silence filled the room as Jaune finished talking, before Blake spoke up.

"So what happened then?" She said, catching Jaune off guard.

"W-what?" The words seemed to draw every gaze towards the blond boy, who was trying his best not to start sweating nervously.

"To your neck. And cheek." The faunus elaborated, pointing at her own neck and cheek. "I mean, whatever happened to your neck and cheek must've been crazy for them to be life-threatening injuries." Jaune blinked rapidly, this time coupled with his rising heartbeat, his mind racing to find a reasonable excuse.

"Yeah, what happened to your cheek? Did something like, tear it off or something? What's taking so long for it to heal?" This time it was Ruby who spoke up, managing to poke her head out of the Nora cage, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Well—"

"Ruby's got a point," Yang interrupted Jaune's floundering attempts, snapping her fingers. "Heck, bandages aren't really going to help anyways. It's not like you can get an infection with your Aura protecting you."

"You don't know that." Jaune objected defensively, frowning at the fact that he couldn't get a word in edgewise.

"Actually, we do know that," Weiss snapped, marching forwards. "We learn that sort of thing in Beacon. Now, what are you hiding Jaune?"

"I- I don't know what you're talking about." At this point Jaune was resorting to stammering and denials, which didn't help his defense whatsoever. Weiss only took the opportunity to get closer and closer, her hand reaching out to either grab the neck bandage or tear off the cheek bandage. It didn't matter which one it was to Jaune. All he saw was a hand reaching out towards him, and his heart started to beat faster than ever before, his breathing practically turned into deep, heavy gasps.

There wasn't any thought in Jaune's mind as he screamed out a 'no!' and slapped away Weiss's hand, falling backwards and sliding away until his back hit the floor, hands up to cover his face.

He was back.

He was back in the burning building, the heat of the fire in his face. Salem stood over him, inhuman eyes looking disdainfully down on him, a cruel smile on her face. She didn't need to say anything. Her look said it all.

Die.

Die.

Die.

Jaune didn't want to die. He wanted help. _Needed_ it, in fact.

"Jaune!" The hands on his shoulders weren't Salem's, and more importantly, they weren't close to his neck, trying to choke him out slowly. It wasn't much, but it was just enough to send the blond back into reality, finding Ruby shaking him.

"I'm okay," He gasped, hands moving as he took her hands into his, pushing her away gently. "I'm okay."

No one said anything, allowing Jaune to look around, his heart sinking at the expressions on everyone's faces. They ranged from concerned to shocked, even Nora having frozen at Jaune's display. The worst was Weiss, who seemed to have turned to stone, her face pale as snow, her eyes showing how shaken she was at what had just happened.

It hurt to see, and Jaune stood up quickly, muttering an apology before trying to leave the room.

The movement snapped everyone out of their shock, and the two teams moved quickly, preventing Jaune from leaving. Yang was the first one to stand in front of the door, crossing her arms, but keeping her expression soft, not wanting to scare the boy. Turning around, Jaune found the rest of them to have formed a loose circle, not too close to Jaune as to frighten him, but solid enough to know that they didn't want him running.

"Look—Jaune," Yang stepped forwards, before stopping herself when the boy winced, falling back a step. "We don't want to scare you," She continued, holding up her hands. "But we're… concerned for you. And we just want to make sure that you're alright."

"I'm fine." The answer was quick, automatic, and absolutely, completely a lie.

"Didn't look like it when you freaked out—" Nora was cut off by a hard elbow to her ribs by Ren, shutting her up. Jaune sighed though, knowing what she said was true. It would take a miracle to convince everyone here that he was alright after having an episode like that.

"Look I—Look." Jaune slowed himself down, closing his eyes as he tried to sort out his thoughts and feelings, both of which were in complete turmoil. "Going into that building was… not the smartest idea." He was sure that Weiss was rolling her eyes behind him, but was grateful that no one scoffed at the obvious statement. "And almost dying in it?" Flashes again populated his thoughts. The pain, the hopelessness, Salem. _Stop_. "It was hard." Jaune finished in a quiet voice. "I was so… _scared_."

He didn't realize that he was shaking until he looked up, finding that he had crouched down as well, hands placed over his ears. Looking around him, he expected to find pity and worry.

He found love and care instead, as the group made their way—slowly—into a group hug, encircling him in a bubble of warmth, and unconditional love.

It was nice.

Jaune wasn't sure how much time had passed by, but in the end he didn't really care, a smile on his face as everyone separated.

"Thanks everyone." Jaune said, making sure that everybody could hear him. Weiss sniffed haughtily, crossing her arms, turning away from him. Jaune was still able to see her turn red before her face disappeared from view though.

"Happy to help Jaune." Yang said casually, raising a hand to sling around Jaune's neck, before hesitating and letting it land on his shoulder, patting him roughly. "In fact…" The blonde girl eyes him before a grin exploded onto her face, her eyes twinkling. "I might have an idea that could help." Without another word, she grabbed Jaune's hands and pulled him outside of the room, the others following close behind, not sure what the peppy girl was planning.

"Where're we going?" Jaune asked, not resisting as Yang pulled on him, simply curious about the destination. She tossed her head back, the cheer on her face still there as she turned to talk to him.

"Well. You've got aura now, don't you?" She didn't wait for Jaune to answer, fully knowing the question was yes. "Then we've got to get you to training! Wouldn't want to get caught off guard by burning building again, would you?" Jaune chuckled a little, taken aback by how supportive everyone seemed of that plan.

"I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure I can't train for burning buildings." Jaune said doubtfully, making Yang roll her eyes.

"Bah. That's 'cause you're not in the Huntsman way of thinking yet. We'll change that narrow-mindedness yet!" She cheered, Nora doing the same a few people behind Jaune, waving Magnhild in the air.

Jaune shrugged, letting them carry him away for whatever it was that they were planning for him. They only stopped when a green-haired girl stepped in front of them, waving at the blond boy.

"Hey Jaune." Emerald said, standing awkwardly in front of them.

"Hey… there." Jaune replied back haltingly, not remembering her name. He remembered that she knew Neo though, and that was enough for his shoulders to bunch up slightly, wondering why she sought him out.

"Emerald." The girl said, reintroducing herself to him. A nod was all she got though, Jaune unsure of whether it was wise or not to do more.

"Hey Emmy." Ruby said, nodding at her. "We're gonna help Jaune learn how to defend himself. Wanna tag along?" Jaune raised an eyebrow, surprised that the girl would know Emerald. She shook her head though, a polite smile on her face as she declined the offer.

"No thanks. I just needed to ask Jaune something. You guys mind?" The group muttered a few things, most of them too quiet for anyone but the person next to them to hear, but all of them ended up looking at Jaune, waiting for him to make the final decision.

 _I don't want to go with her_. Jaune thought to himself. She knew Neo, who knew Roman… who knew things that the boy wasn't really comfortable with. For all he knew, she was just luring him into a dark, secluded corner for _her_ to come and finish the job that she had started.

It sounded paranoid, but that didn't mean it wasn't true.

 _It was silly though_ , another part of his mind said. The clear, logical part of his mind. Would she really go and do something like that in the middle of Beacon?

"It won't be long," The girl practically pleaded, her eyes wide. "Please."

Looking at her like this, it wasn't hard for him to make up his mind, the boy nodding as he stepped out of the barrier that his friends were making around him.

"Wait for me?" Jaune asked, turning back around to look at them, unable to drive away all of his uneasiness.

"Of course." They all said, nodding in unison.

With that off of his mind, Jaune followed the girl, who stopped not too far away from the group, probably doing so for Jaune's benefit. She cut straight to the chase, leaning in and whispering furiously.

"Do you know where Cinder is?"

Jaune stood there, frozen as the question deciphered itself in his mind. "What?" He asked dumbly, not understanding.

"Cinder?" Emerald's face morphed into an expression of frustration, hands turning into fists. "Brunette? Gold eyes? Leggy?"

"I know who she is," Jaune cut her off, blushing a little at the description that she gave him. "Why do you think I would know anything about where she is?"

"Because—" Emerald stopped herself, almost biting her tongue to control whatever outburst she was about to have. "Because you were the last person that she was with." She said instead, her voice flat lining into a clam monotone.

"And how would you know that?" Jaune asked, causing the girl to glare at him. He didn't mean to be difficult. It just came out that way.

"Because I'm… her friend." Emerald managed to squeeze out, pulling out her scroll. She tapped a few buttons and pulled up Cinder's contact number. "See?"

The blond stared at the number, nodding. To be honest, he didn't see. Emerald could've shown any number and it would've had the same result for him, seeing as how _he_ didn't know Cinder's contact number anyways.

"I'm sorry," Jaune sighed, shaking his head. "I have no idea where she is right now. Last I saw her, she was with me while I was… while I ran into a burning building." The red-eyed girl gave him a look of confusion, to which he shook his head again. "Long story."

Her shoulders fell at the same time her expression did, a sigh escaping her lungs. Jaune dind't need to be telepathic to know that she was frustrated and worried about—about her friend, and it pained Jaune to know that he wasn't able to help her. Especially because Cinder _had_ helped him out before he did the stupid thing and tried to kill himself by running into a building turned furnace.

"I'm sorry I can't help you out more." Jaune finally said, spreading out his hands. "She saved my life. If there was a way I could thank her, I would." The words seemed to calm the panic on Emerald's face, as she took the time to breathe in and out, thanking Jaune silently.

"If you do catch wind of where she is… tell me?"

"Of course." Jaune said quickly. Contacting Emerald would probably be the first thing on his mind if he heard a whisper of where Cinder was. He wasn't going to be the one to get in between two friends.

"Thank you." Emerald said, grasping Jaune's hands for a second before letting go. "I appreciate it. Without her its…" She shook her head, her expression turning dark. "It gives me a bad feeling." She shrugged, her expression changing again quickly. "Hopefully it comes to nothing and she's just visiting someone for a few days. Thanks again." The two of them left after she said that, the girl turning and pulling out her scroll, dialing someone up and talking to them, her body language betraying her tension and worry.

Jaune's heart went out for her, said to see someone so worried about someone they cared about.

 _If I was still a bartender…_

The thought was smothered quickly, before it could produce emotions that he couldn't handle, and Jaune went back to the small crowd waiting for him.

He needed something to keep the darkness out of his mind.


	27. A Change of Winds

**A/N: So. Long story short. I sort of moved out all of a sudden, which meant that I needed to move to a different state and find a place to live as well as a job. It's still a little rocky, and I'll probably have to move my schedule to once every three weeks, more than likely even more. I apologize for this, but hopefully, I'll be able to work, make enough money for rent and still write out my stories, which I love doing. I'm not planning on quitting writing any time soon, no matter what gets in my way. XD Anyways, I'm glad to be back. Hope y'all enjoy :)**

 **That guy: I'm a dude.**

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The bed rushed up to meet Jaune's face, his eyes closing as he fell into the warm comforts of his bed. A groan escaped from his mouth as the sheets engulfed him, whispering sweet nothings into his ears.

"I never… want to get out of bed… again." He moaned, burying his head deeper into the pillow. A small giggle erupted from behind him, Pyrrha's amusement obvious with the image of the strong boy complaining about a small training session. She knew he would get over it soon though. After all, Jaune only had to run three laps around the Beacon campus, and there was an hour of training with Yang, Weiss, and her.

She did that kind of thing every single day.

"Come on Jaune! You'll get the sheets dirty if you lay in them before you shower!" Before Jaune could protest, Nora pried him out of his bed, holding him up to the sunlight streaming through the window.

"Urghpth" Jaune said, blinking blearily and weakly batting at Nora. She just laughed at his attempts of freeing himself and flung him through towards the bathroom, a resounding crash echoing through the room.

"Nora, please don't break Jaune."

The orange-haired girl chuckled sheepishly at the pink-eyed boy's rebuke, before clapping her hands, grinning. "I'll help clean him up!"

"No!" It was the first recognizable word that came out of Jaune's mouth since he entered the room, loud enough to be heard through the bathroom doors. Ren stood up quickly, intent on mitigating the damage before things got too far.

"I'll help him," The boy said quietly, opening the door. He didn't get another step in before a towel hit his face, making him jerk back in surprise. Jaune took that time to shut the door again, locking it this time.

"I'll be fine," Jaune said, his voice muffled through the door. "Just… give me a few minutes to myself. Please?"

The other three residents of the room looked at each other, shrugging as they communicated silently amongst each other.

"If you need us, I guess we'll be… somewhere else?" Pyrrha suggested, Nora looking up towards the ceiling thoughtfully. The boisterous girl snapped her fingers, face brightening as an idea went through her head.

"Let's get ice cream!"

The was a brief back and forth as they discussed where they were going, before they departed, hunting down their sister team to take with them.

The blond boy that was left behind rested his head on the door, sighing. Jaune closed his eyes for a second, gathering his thoughts and finding the strength and will to move and take off his clothes, stepping into the shower and just standing there for a while.

It took a minute or two before his mind was able to catch up to him, the sluggishness in his mind dissipating slowly. As his thoughts started to phase in, Jaune came to one simple conclusion.

He wasn't meant to be a capable Huntsman.

Sure, he could swing a sword. With enough training and practice, Jaune would probably be confident enough to kill a few Grimm if he needed to. But to protect people and put his life on the line for the greater good? To keep people safe from the outside world?

Jaune could feel bile rising from his throat just thinking about it.

After everything that's happened to him… After the death of his family, the fall to alcoholism, his near death experience with the Grimm…

The one crazy lady out to kill him was going to be the one to break him?

It sounded ridiculous, but that was the exactly what had happened. The three or four nights that Jaune had been able to close his eyes and sleep, his dreams had been plagued with the woman. She lurked in the shadows, her eyes looking through him, no emotion showed except the ones that would drive Jaune insane if he stared into her long enough. He still woke up feeling the burns on his arms and back, his throat tightening and loosening reflexively. The wounds on his cheek, as well as the bruises on his neck still hadn't healed completely. The nurse in charge of the Beacon infirmary was just as baffled as Jaune was, not able to understand why the marks wouldn't fade. Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch might have known the reason why, but the both of them were being particularly tight-lipped about it. With Professor Ozpin, Jaune wasn't expecting anything less, not knowing him enough to know if the headmaster was always quiet on things or not. But Professor Goodwitch?

It just hurt a little when the woman seemed to close up when Jaune asked about it.

The water from the showerhead dripped around his head and hair, flowing down his shoulders as Jaune slowly attempted to wash himself, grimacing at the way that his muscles screamed in protest to his movements. Fighting was hard.

That's something that should've been obvious from the start, but Jaune had foolishly held onto the small hope that with a bit of coaching he would be able to hold his own against anyone else in Beacon. It was a silly thought to have, really.

Everyone here had been working every day to cultivate their skills since they were little kids. They put their blood, sweat, and tears into their training, and even then, some of them only barely made it through Beacon's rigorous admission tests. And the blonde idiot thought that he could measure up with _any_ of these guys?

Jaune had to reevaluate how much of a moron he was.

Shampoo found its way into his blond hair, and was quickly washed out as Jaune rubbed it away. The heat helped loosen him up a little, allowing Jaune to sigh in actual relief. Jaune had made a decision. Well, truth be told, he had made the decision a long time ago, it was just really the first time that he actually put it into the forefront of his mind.

He didn't _want_ to be a Huntsman.

Looking back years ago, he had always been only faced with fantastical stories of the old Huntsmen, how they fought bravely and became heroes, how they found true love and were heralded as legends. That wasn't the case. That was never really the case.

Being a bartender had helped him see the truth more than he ever thought he would. Sitting with so many of his future friends, he listened to their stories. Stories of how Qrow had lost one of his best friends, of how James had made a mistake in leading his men and having them fall to the slaughter.

Of how even Ruby has had people she's loved and lost, as well as being forced to make choices that Jaune wouldn't envy her making.

He couldn't imagine having to do the things that some of his friends have done. And he didn't really want to be the type that did. He wanted to help but… he didn't want to have to put everything on the line while doing it. Call it selfish of him, Jaune would be the first person to admit that was the case. But it was still what he believed, and nothing was really going to change that.

Looking at his wrinkled fingers, Jaune decided that he had spent enough time hiding in the shower, and shut off the water, stepping out gingerly and toweling himself off, putting his clothes on and stepping back into his empty room, eyes scanning the place from left and right.

It was a beautiful room. Cozy, happy. Safe. He was sure that the atmosphere was crafted to be exactly how it was supposed to be felt, a place for the Huntsmen and Huntresses to relax and find sanctuary.

It wasn't the right place for him.

He belonged in a bar. He belonged behind a counter, serving drinks and making people smile as he told jokes, as he listened to them talk about their problems and as they listened to him try and comfort them. He felt at home in a bar. He didn't here.

And that was really all there was to it.

The blond boy didn't know when he had started to cry, only noticing it when he saw the tears bounce off of his sheets. He leaned over, brushing the droplets off, his mind forming the conclusion that he didn't want to dirty someone else's bed.

Everything came rushing towards him. It was sudden, it was hard, and it was a low blow that he couldn't handle.

The pit was dark, and Jaune was stuck right in the middle of it. There wasn't any light, until someone shined it right into his eyes. Lifting his head, he found concerned blue eyes framed by snow white hair.

"Jaune? Are you alright?" Weiss asked, kneeling down, her face close to his. The boy hiccupped and buried his head into his arms again, not answering her question. The action didn't deter her, only driving her to get closer to him, a gentle hand resting on his elbow. The brief contact caused Jaune to stiffen up, his whole body almost jerking backwards when he did so.

Like touching a hot pan, Weiss's hand also flew backwards, eyes widening in panic as she saw how distraught Jaune was.

"I- I'm sorry," She said hurriedly, floundering a little, not knowing what to do. "I didn't mean to- It's just-" Her eyes fluttered a little before she released a deep breath, calming herself. "I'm sorry." She finished simply, looking into Jaune's eyes.

Jaune immediately felt guilty for unintentionally hurting the girl in front of him, and was quick to sit up, one of his hands hesitantly touching her shoulders. The contact was light, just enough to bring Weiss out of her brief state of mind, allowing Jaune to reassure that she had done nothing wrong.

"It's alright." Jaune whispered, doing his best to convey his sincerity. "I was just a little surprised. That's all."

She didn't look so sure of that, but nodded nonetheless, her tense form drooping. Still, Jaune didn't remove his hand until she started to move, murmuring quietly.

"Thank you." She said, a soft smile on her face. Weiss chuckled, shaking her head. "I thought I was coming in here to cheer you up. I didn't realize that I was going to be the one who needed to be cheered up." The boy smiled, his teeth flashing.

"I guess you could just say that I have a talent at comforting people." He said jokingly, standing up and offering a hand to her. "It's almost like a semblance."

Weiss took his hand and lifted herself off of the ground, brushing her school skirt, before glancing up and down at Jaune, her eyes narrowing. The expression changed quickly into an amused grin, her pose settling as she crossed her arms. "You know, you had aura when you were bartending, I would agree with you."

The two of them shared a grin with each other, forgetting about what had happened just a moment earlier. Jaune sat down on his bed, patting the spot next to him. Weiss sat down, crossing her ankles as she looked at him. The two of them sat together comfortably, neither of them saying a word, not needing to with how familiar they were with each other. It was only when Jaune let out an explosive sigh and let himself lay all the way down that the bubble of silence was popped, the heiress twisting to look at the blond boy.

"I can't believe I've only known you for a few months." Jaune whispered quietly, Weiss's lips curving a little in response to the statement. He held out a hand, to which the girl laid hers on top of, the waiter playing with her fingers. Weiss didn't say anything, simply humming, acknowledging what he had said.

"It feels like it's been forever." Jaune continued talking, a fingertip tracing the lines on her hands slowly. Weiss couldn't help but shiver a little at the touch, but didn't pull away from him. "So much has happened in such a short time." Jaune closed his eyes, letting go of Weiss.

When he thought about it, what he said was true. Compared to the other sixteen years of his life, the events of just the past eight or so months was so… so fantastical. If someone had told fourteen year old Jaune that he would one day become a waiter, lose his family, and gain more Huntsman friends than he could count… Well, it would feel like they were just describing one of his more extreme daydreams.

A feeling on his open hands brought him back to the present. When he opened his eyes again, he found Weiss looking at his hands, doing the same thing that Jaune had been doing just moments before. The boy took his time looking at Weiss, detailing her.

Like the first time he met her, Jaune found the girl beautiful. She wore her school uniform perfectly, and he didn't she wore it to maximize how she looks. She wore it perfectly as in if anyone looked at a picture of how someone was supposed to wear a uniform, they would find Weiss standing there. From top to bottom she made sure everything was within the rules. Skirt length, tie, buttoned-up jacket.

And even then, she looked stunning.

Her hair, even in the ponytail that she wore trailed and framed her face, almost hiding her thoughtful eyes, a few strands blowing around because of the soft blowing of the air conditioning. The sun was hidden behind her head, but the sunlight was still able to stream around her. Without much thinking, one of Jaune's hands rose up and touched one of the runaway strands, brushing it back past her ear.

Her blue eyes turned to look at him. Weiss didn't question it, nor did she looked shocked or disgusted. There was only a warmth in her eyes that Jaune couldn't describe, but it spread through Jaune's chest, almost making it hard for him to breath.

"Well," Weiss whispered, her hand touching the one that Jaune had left on her face. "I am glad that we were able to meet." Her eyes crinkled a little in amusement. "Even if we didn't start off on the right foot."

That got a laugh out of Jaune, who withdrew his hand to allow himself to sit up, getting closer to Weiss.

"Yeah. Who would've thought that we would actually become… friends?" Jaune said tentatively, eyes flicking over towards hers.

"Y-yes." Weiss stuttered, her face turning slightly red, which was very obvious when it was compared to her usual color. "Who would've thought?" She repeated, unsure of what else to say.

"Not me, that's for sure," Jaune sighed, leaning against the backboard of the bed.

"I don't want to be a Huntsman."

Weiss blinked rapidly at the sudden statement, turning to look at the boy next to her. Jaune didn't look back, instead facing the nearby window, a thoughtful look on his face while he traced the path of the birds flying past.

"O-oh." The girl said back, not sure how to feel about what Jaune had just said. The boy finally turned to look at Weiss, and without meaning to, showed Weiss the feelings that he thought he had carefully hidden.

"I'm sorry," Jaune said, eyes looking anywhere but at Weiss.

"There's nothing to be sorry about." The heiress reached over and grabbed Jaune's hands again, smiling reassuringly at him. "I am not going to judge you differently because you don't want to be a Huntsman, Jaune. It isn't a life that's cut out for everyone," Weiss fell into a whisper, squeezing Jaune's fingers. "Sometimes even I think I am not cut out to be a Huntress."

"Don't be ridiculous." Jaune said, startling Weiss with how adamant he sounded. "You're amazing. Strong. Good. I… I could only dream of being as great as you." Weiss's response was to blush even harder, unused to the frank compliments, especially coming from the blond boy. It was enough to stun her briefly, but in the end she turned it back on him, pursing her lips sternly.

"If I cannot be ridiculous, then you are not allowed to be either." Weiss let go of one of his hands and poked his chest, making the boy wince. "You are just as—just as amazing as you say I am. How many people have you talked to, changed their lives by being their bartender?"

Now it was Jaune's turn to turn red. "I- I wouldn't go that far," Jaune protested weakly. Weiss wouldn't have any of it though, glaring at Jaune, silently telling him to be quiet.

"I certainly would." Weiss replied. "I know that just from what my teammates have said, you have touched our lives deeply. And in doing so, you've made our whole team stronger as well. I've seen some of the other people you've helped as well. Cardin? The days following his visit to your bar, he became a better person. And that hasn't just made him a better person, but his teammates, as well as making Beacon a brighter place for everyone here. And don't you dare say that you had nothing to do with that." Weiss threatened him again, waving her finger in his face. Jaune was wise enough to shut his mouth before any words tumbled out, his teeth clacking loudly in the quiet room.

The heiress nodded in approval, before calming down, hands settling over her lap again.

"I would say that every one of those examples would be a perfect case to show you that you are _very_ capable of being a Huntsman. But… I would also say that they are also the perfect examples to show that you _aren't_ a Huntsman." Weiss was the one to look away this time, her fingers fidgeting slightly. "You can be better than a Huntsman."

"I don't-"

"Understand, yes, I know." Weiss cut Jaune off, raising an eyebrow. "You always seem to have a hard time wrapping your head around the fact that you are a driving force of good for me- for us." Weiss corrected hurriedly. "For everyone around you."

Blue eyes locked onto each other, before Jaune closed his own, a meek smile appearing on his face.

"Thanks Weiss." Jaune said, his words heartfelt. "I appreciate everything you do to cheer me up." His hands squeezed hers. "I always do."

The two of them shared the moment together, looking at each other, words passing by without them having to say anything.

The click and slide of the doorway separated them quickly, Jaune turning to look at whoever had opened the door. Weiss stood up as well, almost looking as if she had used a glyph to propel herself across the room, standing on the far side of Pyrrha's bed.

"Oh my. I'm not saying I mind you doing all of that on my bed, but please tell me you're going to at least change the sheets after doing so." The girl said, stepping through the doorway, a small smirk on her face.

"Dew!" Weiss took a step forwards, coughing slightly into her fist before she extended a charming smile. "I didn't realize you were coming back so soon!" Violet eyes rolled as Dew Gayl waved a dismissive hand, dropping her traveling bag next to the door.

"Yeah. I _was_ planning to stay for a few more days, but then my mom started talking about setting me up with another boy." The girl shuddered, shaking her head while she did so. "No thank you." Her grin appeared again, a finger flicking towards the other two in the room.

"Although I see you don't have that kind of problem here."

"We were just talking." Weiss said, wincing as she realized how threadbare that excuse sounded.

"Uh huh."

"We were!"

Jaune just looked back and forth at the two girls, not sure if he really wanted to jump in, having a feeling that he would screw things up even worse if he tried to intervene. A nervous cough still drew Dew's attention though, whose blonde hair whipped around as she looked at the boy still standing next to her bed. Her grin grew slightly at the sight of the uncomfortable Jaune.

"Now, what does the other half of this guilty party have to say?" Jaune's eyes widened, turning towards the embarrassed Weiss, finding no hints to be given from her vague glare.

"Uh."

Dew waited for another second to see if Jaune would say anything else, nodding when Jaune decided that he had said enough.

"Quite the snake tongue you've got on you, huh?" Dew rolled her eyes again, snorting in amusement. "I think Zwei could've given a better defense. At least he has the decently to give a puppy dog look when pretending to be innocent."

"… We weren't doing anything, Dew." Weiss repeated, pinching the bridge of her nose with her forefingers.

"Of course not," Blonde hair bobbed as Dew nodded her head vigorously, batting her eyelids in an unconvincing manner.

"I- ugh. I'm leaving." Weiss stomped up towards the girl, glaring at her before striding past. Dew reached over, grabbing Weiss by the shoulder before she could leave, and leaned over, whispering into Weiss's ears. Jaune wasn't able to hear what was said, but was able to see Weiss's eyes widen, her face redden, and her scowl turning slightly panicked before she pushed the other girl away, sputtering her indignation before storming off. Dew just giggled at the sight, before thumbing something on her scroll, closing the door, a small clank sounding as the door locked itself behind her.

"H-hi." Jaune greeted the girl weakly, who raised a single eyebrow, before stalking her way towards the boy. There wasn't much space for him to back away, only able to take two steps before the back of his knees hit his- Dew's bed. She wasn't as tall as Jaune, but the way she held herself made Jaune feel like he was shrinking in front of her gaze. She continued to look at him, eyes trailing up and down his body, as if she was trying to look for something to exploit.

Dew shifted a little before shaking her head, turning away from Jaune.

"You're an interesting fellow, you know that?"

Jaune blinked at the statement, mouth opening. "Uh…" Dew ignored his gaping, crossing her arms as she leaned back against Pyrrha's bed.

"I was listening to you guys when you were talking about not wanting to be a Huntsman." The girl admitted, shrugging her shoulders. Jaune stared at her, surprised that she would openly admit that she was listening in on their conversations.

Dew had always been a bit of a conundrum to Jaune. There were a lot of stories about her, especially when it came to Pyrrha telling him about her as a partner. At the start, she seemed to always gush and be attached at the hip with Pyrrha, but it seemed like that personality faded as Jaune got the Amazon to talk to her partner, replaced by a solid, reliable character that everyone in PNDR was able to rely on. Something like an older sister.

To Jaune though, she was a mystery. Every time the group visited Jaune, Dew seemed to be the one who stayed the furthest away, not saying much, nor drinking much. Every time she ordered something from him, it was something different, and Jaune still can't figure out which drink she really liked. It felt like every time Jaune even looked at her, she was glaring at him somewhat, and every single one of those traits combined scared the daylights out of him.

"O-oh. You did?" Jaune asked, mind settling back to the topic at hand.

"I did." Dew said firmly, making sure that he wasn't going to find a way to change the topic. "And I agree with you."

"Agree with me?"

"Agree with you." She repeated, nodding once. Jaune's eyebrows furrowed in as he tried to remember what he would have said that she would've agreed on. Dew could see the obvious confusion on Jaune's face and sighed, shaking her head slightly. "I think that you aren't fit to be a Huntsman."

The boy winced at the statement, which sounded worse when it came from someone other than him. Dew didn't seem to notice, or care, continuing to talk.

"You're learning everything that we've been learning too late in life. If you were put into a life and death situation… you would choose wrong." Dew turned slowly towards him, a calm look in his eyes. "And doom the people who would depend on you."

"I wouldn't do that badly." Jaune objected, surging up in anger. He knew that what Dew said was the truth, but that didn't mean she should be saying the words so callously, and hurtfully. Jaune took a single step towards the girl before a hand flashed in front of him, resting on his chest. Dew didn't even show any signs of exerting herself as she pushed against his chest, sending him flying across the bed and onto the floor on the other side.

"Actually, you would." Jaune heard Dew's voice floating across the room, as well as the clacking of her heels against the floor, the girl walking around the bed to face him. "You can't even react fast enough for something as simple as a shove. What's going to happen when you're facing a Beowulf, or an Ursa?"

Frustrated tears pooled around the corner of Jaune's eyes as he grit his teeth, stumbling into a stand. "I know that!" Jaune yelled angrily at the girl, fists clenched. "You don't think I know that?" Violet eyes stared back unflinchingly, Dew unmoving as Jaune screamed angrily at her.

"I never said that." She said calmly, only making Jaune increasingly infuriated.

"Then why are you telling me this?" Jaune growled out, not learning his lesson and stepping close to the girl, his nose almost touching hers. "You just get off on hurting other people? Hurting me?"

"Of course not. That is the last thing I want to do."

"Well that _is_ what you're doing!" Jaune's throat only felt more and more sore as he continued to scream, anger boiling over. Dew blinked at the sudden outrage that Jaune displayed, the anger enough to make her lean back a degree.

"Oh. I apologize if that's how I'm coming off right now." Dew bowed deep, her voice finally reflecting a bit of sincerity. "I didn't mean to hurt you with my words," she repeated.

Jaune's anger wasn't so easily dissipated, but Dew apologizing was a start. His chest slowed as he calmed himself, his mind struggling to push the anger away. The girl stood there for a little longer, making sure all of the wayward emotions were gone before she got close and laid a hand on Jaune's shoulder, looking at him in concentration.

"I would like to say that you're strong, Jaune." She said, seemingly out of the blue coming from Jaune's perspective. "But you aren't strong in a way that makes a Huntsman strong."

"What-"

"You're stronger as someone who's there to talk things out with the troubled and weary. You're the one that anyone can rely on to point them in the right path." Dew hesitated, biting her lip for a second before saying, "I think that your strengths make you _stronger_ than a Huntsman." Her finger poked his chest again, bringing Jaune to a wince again.

"Huntsmen are the ones that will save and protect the people around them," Dew said, eyes unwavering, making sure Jaune understood the intensity of her words. "You are the one that's going to save the Huntsmen."

"O… k?" Jaune said nervously, sweat beginning to form on his brow. Dew was starting to get intense. _Very_ intense, which wasn't something really _strange_ per se, but it was still something Jaune didn't want directed at him with full force. The bad feeling was proven to be true when the girl gripped his arms tighter, making him wince again.

"Do you understand?" Her eyes flashed, making Jaune jump. "Do you understand?" She repeated.

"Yes." Jaune nodded, eyes wide. "Yes, I understand."

As soon as Dew heard the words, she seemed to slump down, her eyes fluttering, her arms sliding off of his shoulders. Jaune took that opportunity to draw himself backwards, stepping out of her reach. There was quiet as Dew stayed slumped over, breathing deeply. Slowly, her eyes opened, back straightening almost painfully as she inhaled, looking as if she was sucking all the air out of the room.

It took a while, but her eyes rolled and Jaune was able to meet her in the eyes again. Dew clutched her head, groaning in pain.

 _What… was that?!_ Jaune thought to himself, growing more terrified at the display.

"I hate it when I do that." Dew muttered, finally straightening up, rubbing her face. Squinting like she was peering into sunlight, she looked at Jaune.

"Remember what I said Jaune." The girl said, crossing her arms.

"What you… said?" Jaune repeated, confounded. Dew rolled her eyes, blowing the hair out of her face.

"Geez, and Pyrrha called you a witty person. Do you remember. What I said?" She enunciated the words delicately, tapping her foot in a show of impatience.

"I—" Jaune cut himself off when Dew glared at him, the boy quickly shutting his mouth and nodding his head instead. "I remember." He answered meekly.

The girl nodded, but instead of looking relieved like he thought that she would be, she looked worried.

"Good." Dew murmured, nodding to herself, turning around. "Good…"

The blond didn't have any time to say anything else as Dew departed, the door sliding open, her thumb swiping her scroll and letting the it close behind her, leaving a bewildered Jaune standing alone in the room.

"But where am I going to sleep now…?" Jaune finished weakly, hand dropping about the same time his head did.


	28. Finding the Way Back

**A/N: Wow. So. Time for me to give some excuses I guess. Long story short, money is tight, I'm working a crap ton and not making much so… Not much time to write, unfortunately. TBH, I'm pretty stressed out right now XD Don't worry though, I'll continue writing, even if it takes forever for me to get the next chapters out XP Hope y'all enjoy, and sorry if it's not up to standard.**

 **That Guy: I'm glad that you're so excited that I came back XD**

* * *

"Crap."

Jaune unsuccessfully held in a giggle as he watched Yang drop the jigger for the third time in the last minute, spilling whatever she was trying to measure out of the container. With a bit of quick thinking, the blond boy was also able to duck as Yang chucked a metal tumbler at him, the metal object pinging as it hit the wall behind him.

"Oh come on Yang," Jaune said, stopping all pretenses of trying not to laugh, "I'm sure you can pick it up sooner or later."

The girl crossed her arms, scowling at the boy who would dare try and reassure her. The desk in front of her held several bottles, all labeled different things. There was also a cocktail glass—still empty—and a spot for the tumbler that she had just thrown straight at Jaune.

The boy bent over and picked up the silvery glass, placing it back onto the table before shaking his head, grabbing the jigger from its spot and pushing it back into Yang's hand, an encouraging smile still on his face. Yang directly contrasted him with her sharp gaze, initially refusing to hold the measuring object until Jaune raised an eyebrow at her, the girl finally relenting.

"You know, for someone who was insistent in wanting to learn how to make your favorite drink, I don't feel like you're all that eager to learn," Jaune commented, sliding a half-empty jug of orange juice jug towards Yang. Her lips grew into a pout as she grabbed the juice, and plopped a measuring cup in front of her, carefully pouring in the exact amount that was needed for the Strawberry Sunrise.

"I didn't realize that this was going to be so difficult." Yang said slowly, stopping for a second as she eyed the dark line on the cup, pouring a little more into the container before nodding in satisfaction. "I didn't realize that there was so much... measuring going on to make a drink."

Jaune nodded as he watched her dump the juice into a nearby blender, shaking the cup to make sure that everything had been emptied out. As Yang turned to the strawberries, Jaune shrugged, a slight smile appearing on his face.

"Yeah, I thought the same thing when I first started out. Made a lot of bad drinks," Jaune said, chuckling as he recalled the one time the owner ended up gagging on one of Jaune's experimental drinks. "Don't worry though," Jaune said soothingly, patting Yang on the head, "As you practice, you'll get better." Yang swatted his hand away, rolling her eyes as she dropped a few strawberries into the blender, which Jaune quickly retrieved again, shaking his head at the girl. "Slice the strawberries before you drop them in."

"Is there even a difference?" Yang objected, staring at the orange-juice dripping strawberries that Jaune had placed on the cutting board in front of her.

"There is." This time it wasn't Jaune speaking, the two of them turning to find Scarlet leaning against the doorframe, a smirk on his face. "Trust me, Jaune wouldn't tell you otherwise if there wasn't." The blond boy nodded in thanks to Scarlet, before turning back to Yang, who still had her arms crossed, looking at both of the boys. It took another second, but she finally relented, taking the knife set aside for her and cutting up the strawberries, muttering something under her breath.

Jaune just shook his head, amused, before turning to Scarlet, who nodded a greeting towards him.

"How're you feeling buddy?" Scarlet asked, nodding to the bandages Jaune were sporting. Without thinking Jaune lifted his hand up towards his cheek, rubbing the bandage softly, the places where the witch sunk her nails in tingling as his fingers glided over them. Sleeping was still a little difficult for him, but after he was moved to his own room, at least waking up in the cold of night didn't disturb anyone else's rest. When he was rooming with Pyrrha's team, the only thing that he could really do after a bad nightmare was lay there alone in the darkness. Now, when he woke up, he had another purpose.

To shine up on his drink making.

Sure, he wasn't a bartender anymore, but it didn't hurt to relearn and master the ways of bartending. It also gave him time to create different drinks, refine his own spirits, and allow him to think upon his life.

In a way, his nightmares were a blessing to him, something that allowed him to grow into more of a man than he was before.

It was refreshing, in a way.

Well it was, until one day team RWBY had to bust in through the doors of his room because he had overslept, finding him dead asleep with tumblers and opened alcohol strewn across his room.

That had been a fun conversation that everyone had to go through.

After convincing everyone that he hadn't relapsed back into the life of an extreme alcoholic, curiosity overcame them, and they all started to talk about the way of the bartender, and how Jaune made the drinks that they've come to absolutely love. That devolved into Jaune showing a step by step demonstration of some of the cocktails that he poured, which then devolved even further into Jaune trying to teach one or two drinks to the few people that were interested.

Most of Jaune's friends that he taught had either found it too difficult and quickly decided against it, or were happy to retain how to make their favorites, albeit to a lesser degree than how Jaune could make it.

The last person to still be at it was Yang, because she quickly grew to love trying to make the drinks, and well...

Because Jaune quickly found out how bad she was at making them.

By the time Jaune had finished teaching Yang the correct proportions to a simple gin and tonic, he had found a tempo that was almost relaxing to get into. Teach, demonstrate, watch Yang attempt, then duck quickly as she threw tumbler after tumbler in frustration.

It was needless to say that Jaune bought steel glasses with him the next time Yang came for her lesson.

As they neared the end of the break, Jaune found Yang appearing in front of his doorstep more and more often, either a saccharine smile on her face, or a deadly scowl, intent on learning and improving more and more. After more trial and error than anything else, Yang was able to learn a few recipes, which to Jaune's horror, sparked her thirst to learn more and more, which turned Jaune's surprisingly busy days into even busier days, filled with training, spending time with friends, and creating lesson plans for Yang to go through.

It was more fun than Jaune thought it would be.

"I'm feeling a lot better." Jaune finally said, grinning at Scarlet. He unfolded his arms and hugged the red-haired boy, warmth suffusing him.

Scarlet wasn't much of a friend at first, but somehow, annoyingly so, the boy was consistent in showing up and making sure that Jaune was okay. It was hard to dislike anyone who was so devoted in making sure that you were alright.

As they separated, they found Yang standing in front of them, arms crossed, a finger tapping an impatient beat against her forearm. Besides her was a cocktail of swirling red, topped with a strawberry on the rim, a hint of a mint leaf floating. The sight of it was enough to draw a surprised noise out of Jaune's throat, his eyebrows rising slightly. He didn't say anything though, making it difficult for the blonde girl to gauge whether or not she was successful or not.

"So?" She finally said, frustration building around the edges of her voice, eager to know what Jaune thought of her umpteenth try at making her favorite drink. "What do you think?"

The question brought Jaune's head to the side, as if a different perspective would change his opinion of the drink.

"It's missing something." Jaune said, getting closer and tracing the rim of the glass with his gloves, circling around it carefully, almost delicately to make sure not to touch the garnish on top. Without a word, he knelt down under the desk and rummaged around, opening the shelves haphazardly, bringing confused looks between the other two occupants in the room.

"What's he doing?" Yang mouthed to Scarlet, who shrugged and held up his hands, already knowing that it was useless to really guess what Jaune was doing. The blond waiter was one of the most unpredictable and mysterious people Scarlet had ever known, and that was counting all of the professors that he's met in his lifetime of being a Huntsmen in training.

Their silent conversation was interrupted when Jaune poked his head above the shelf, rising up with a pen in hand and a grin on his face. He pointed over the shoulder of Yang, making her turn. "Grab that for me?" He asked politely, gesturing towards the notebook lying close to his bedside. Wordlessly, the bemused girl grabbed the composition book and tossed it towards Jaune. She got a nod of thanks from him, before he set the book down on the table, flipping through the pages. She didn't get to see much from it, a few scribbles here and there, before Jaune found an empty page, tearing it out of the book quickly, making Yang jump at the unexpected action. Uncapping the pen with his teeth, Jaune let the pen touch the sheet of paper, before letting the pen go down, then up, flipping it around and placing the piece of paper in front of the drink, grinning up at Yang, who groaned and covered her face with her right hand as she quickly realized what he had drawn.

"Congratulations Yang, you've managed to make a Strawberry Sunrise." Jaune nodded, humming contentedly at the checkmark that he had drawn laying in front of the red drink. Taking off his gloves, Jaune dipped his finger in, placing the appendage in his mouth to taste it, a small sound of happiness escaping. "And delicious too." When he opened his eyes again, he saw a small disapproving frown on Yang's face. Blue eyes rolled as Jaune scoffed, knowing what that face was for.

"Come on Yang. That wasn't even like, one sip." Scarlet shook his head quickly, making a cutting motion with his hands.

"A little is still too much." Yang said firmly, grabbing the drink and pulling it over to her side. Jaune sighed, running a hand through his hair, his lips reflecting the frown on Yang's face.

"I'm pretty sure this much wouldn't get _Ruby_ drunk, let alone me."

"Well sure, but what about the second time? And the third time?" Yang surged forwards, her expression changing from upset to pissed. "And when you decide that the whole bottle isn't bad for you, and you end up getting yourself killed again, will it be alright then?" Each accusation made Jaune's teeth grit more and more, his hands turning into fists.

"It won't get to that point." He said, eyes shooting daggers.

"And the past two times that you've put your neck on the chopping block proves that?"

Out of the corner of Jaune's eyes, he could see Scarlet wince, taking a step back. Seeing that only made Jaune's heart beat a little faster, the beating of his heart rising and pounding in between his ears.

"I've changed." Jaune whispered, his voice lowering to a deadly quiet volume. To anyone else, the tone of voice might have caused them to balk, but Yang was just as hard-headed as Jaune, and there wasn't even a question in her mind to continue to challenge Jaune.

"And even this would prove that you haven't." Yang said slowly, her finger bringing emphasis into each of the words that escaped her lips, the lone appendage hitting the desk right next to the cocktail in a deadly rhythm.

The air around them was electric, and definitely not in a good way. It felt as if they were going to go to arms against each other, and Jaune knew that would end badly for him. Unfortunately, his brain still hadn't thought of why he should care. All that mattered was that Yang wasn't the boss of him, and if she was going to try and force him to do something, or in this instance, _not_ do something, then she better not expect him to just fold over and let it happen.

The brittle air shattered when Scarlet went in between them, a nervous chuckle drawing both of their attentions toward the red-haired boy, who quickly went pale underneath the two enraged glares that he was receiving.

"How about we try and not start a fight here, yeah?" Scarlet offered nervously, spinning in between the two of them, before picking up the object of passion that sat ominously on the desk, pushing it into Yang's hands, who blinked rapidly at the beverage. "Maybe Yang should have a bit of drink, to calm herself down," Scarlet said. It was still obvious that he didn't want to be the one voluntarily involving himself in the two warring factions set beside him, but he was still able to manage a stern enough voice, which was enough to convince Yang to drink from the cocktail, albeit slowly. Her eyebrows shot up as she was surprised by how good she had actually made the drink. Her lips curled into a smile as she lowered the drink down, her eyes glancing towards Jaune, her expression showing that it was obvious she wasn't completely done with arguing with the blond boy. Finally she sighed, brushing some of her hair to the side as she let go of the topic.

"This one is pretty good." Yang finally said, raising the glass up and forcing a small grin on her face. Jaune saw the olive branch for what it was and smiled back, his shoulders relaxing just a tiny fraction.

"I told you that was the case," Jaune nodded, leaning back against the wall. Yang snorted and continued to sip at the drink, closing her eyes and humming in appreciation to the drink. She made this drink. Her. And it was delicious.

"I'd say this one might even be better than the ones you make." The girl smiled teasingly, causing Jaune to bark out a laugh.

"Let's not get too far ahead there." Jaune waggled his finger, the spark in his eyes dancing in amusement. "Just because that drink was _passably_ good, doesn't mean you're a bartender." Yang shrugged, pretending to ignore what the boy had just said, looking down at her body.

"I don't know about that one." Yang said uncertainly, hands brushing her body. "I'm sure I would look _awesome_ wearing your suit. Don't you think so Scarlet?" She made sure to bat her eyelashes as she asked, her fingers lingering on her thighs.

"Uh." Scarlet said, any smart remark hidden behind the overt appreciation that he was showing towards Yang's body. Jaune rolled his eyes and tapped the other boy on the nose, snapping him out of his reverie before the blond crossed his arms. Yang was still grinning at him, a single eyebrow raised at him.

"I think that was a yes from Scarlet."

"I think that was cheating from you." Jaune shot back. "I never realized that you would try and take advantage of someone so weak-willed just to make a point." He shook his head mockingly, ignoring the small 'hey!' of protest that came out of Scarlet's mouth.

"I'll take advantage of whoever I want to." Yang replied back, tossing her head of hair to the said pompously, taking on a brief resemblance of Weiss, except that the blonde was having a difficult time keeping a straight face while doing so. "All's fair in love and... bartending."

Jaune didn't even bother correcting her botched saying, simply sighing. Anything else that would have been said was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door, cutting their playful argument short. The door slid open to reveal a short, stocky man with a glorious mustache, who started to laugh boisterously the moment he saw the three of them.

"Ho ho! I thought that you would be here!" Professor Port said, throwing back his head as he laughed.

"...This is my room, professor." Jaune said, sharing a few looks between the other two people in the room. The big man paused, before coughing into his fist.

"Never mind that. Professor Goodwitch would like to talk with you Jaune. If you don't mind, I was sent to escort you to her."

Another few glances were exchanged between the three in the room before Jaune uncrossed his arms, looking carefully at the Professor.

"Thank you Professor Port. But I _do_ know the way to Professor Goodwitch's office."

In a rare moment of seriousness, the man in front of them shook his head, a stern look on his face as he did so.

"She is not in her office right now, Jaune. So if you don't mind, I would like to escort you to her."

It was clear from the way that Professor Port was talking that escorting Jaune was something important that needed to be done. With that in mind, Jaune wordlessly walked towards the man, glancing back at Scarlet and Yang, who both of varying degrees of the same look. Whatever happens, they had Jaune's back, either when he got back, or when he called them.

It was a nice feeling, which contrasted to the small pit that was starting to form in Jaune's belly.

"Very good. Let us leave."

It was strange seeing the normally carefree man so serious, but the blond boy didn't comment on it, following the man outside of Beacon silently, his heart beat slowly rising the further he got away from the grand buildings.

As they boarded a Bullhead and took off towards Vale, Jaune had a difficult time pinpointing whether his queasiness was from the airship or from the paranoid feeling of impending doom. The boy normally never talked while in an airship, but this time it was too much, and he couldn't help but ask a question, catching the attention of Professor Port, who had been staring out of a window the whole time.

"Where are we going, Professor?"

The man turned slowly, eyebrows obscuring his eyes, making it nearly impossible for Jaune to decipher what the older man was thinking.

"It's a surprise Jaune."

And that was all he got from Professor Port.

And so the two of them landed, and the man led the boy into the deep city, where the streets blended together, the world seeming to grow darker even though the sun was nowhere close to the horizon.

Jaune's mind was so preoccupied that he didn't even notice where they were going, his eyes cast downwards as he followed behind Professor Port, his eyes hearing nothing except the echoes of their footsteps. It was only when Jaune finally looked up to see what road they were on that his heartbeat started to slow, and a relieved sigh escape from his mouth.

He knew exactly what road this was.

Professor Port stopped moving, a smile on his face when he turned around to look at the gaping boy.

"Welcome home, Jaune."

The boy moved past the mustached man, swallowing the lump that had lodged itself in his throat. It had felt like forever since he had seen the bar, and it looked better than it ever did before. The bricks looked brand new, the wooden frames around the doorways and windows shined with polish, and if Jaune squinted a little, he could see the circular tables gleaming in the low light. Looking at the place made Jaune's chest tight, and his breathing uneven. A hand touched his back, and he turned, rapidly blinking, to find Professor Port giving him a grandfatherly smile.

"I hope it's to your liking." The man said, in a voice quieter than he was used to hearing from the usually boisterous teacher. Jaune nodded quickly, not able to trust his voice to express his feelings. The blond boy took another few steps towards the building, laying a hand on the door, glancing back at Professor Port, silently asking for permission to enter. With Professor Port's silent nod, Jaune pushed past the wooden door and stepped into the bar, his head slowly turning to take in the sights.

As a bartender, Jaune had a lot of experience seeing people cry and tear up. He'd seen guys and girls cover their mouths and bend over, trying to hide their tears. He had always thought that it was a little silly to try and hide your crying.

Jaune found out that it wasn't something that you consciously did.

Almost kneeling on the ground, the bartender/waiter found himself lost in his own tears. It wasn't until he felt a firm hand on his shoulder that he was able to start pulling himself together, wiping the tears away from his cheeks, sniffling hard and blinking rapidly to make sure that he could see the person who had touched him. Turning, he found another kind face at the ready. He turned towards Professor Goodwitch and circled his arms around her, burying his head into her stomach. There were no more tears, but something still flowed through him. Glynda didn't comment on it, only rubbing his back, fingers tracing circles as she leaned down, kissing the top of his head.

"... Thank you." Jaune muttered, his voice muffled as he refused to lift his head off of Glynda's shirt. Glynda was never a woman of many words, so she decided not to say anything, instead tightening her grip around the boy. Jaune felt the embrace tighten, and sighed, a small note of happiness escaping.

Both of them felt as if they could've stayed like that forever, comforting each other.

Unfortunately, Professor Port knew no such thing as subtlety, coughing loudly into his hand and bringing the two of them apart, Professor Goodwitch making sure to give the man a measured glare as she rose to her feet. Peter shrugged, unaffected by the menacing undertones that the woman was showing, already used to them after working so long with her.

"Well, it looks like my job here is done." The portly man said, patting his own belly. "I'll be heading out now. I'm sure I can leave Jaune in your hands, Glynda." The woman nodded in agreement as the Professor Port strode out, a hearty chuckle echoing throughout the bar as he left.

After an exasperated shake of her head, Professor Goodwitch turned to Jaune, who was still turning around to look at the bar.

"I hope I've done a good job with the reparations." The professor said, a small smile on her face as Jaune whipped his head around, a guilty expression on his face as he realized that he had fallen into his own amazement again.

"Sorry." Jaune blurted out, before backtracking. "I mean, thank you. Yes. It's wonderful." Jaune laughed nervously, red starting to tinge his cheeks as he realized how erratic his talking was. Taking a deep breath, the boy tried again, mirroring Glynda's smile. "It's even better than it was before. Thank you for bringing my home back to me." There was a jolt of surprise from Professor Goodwitch when she felt him take her hand, but she eventually relaxed.

"Better than it was before? Something wrong with the way it was before?"

Another interruption caused them to separate again, Jaune turning to find an older, grizzled man standing in between them, furrowing his brow. The look was supposed to be a stern one, but it only made Jaune laugh a little bit, before he ducked his head down.

"Sorry sir. It was perfect the way it was before." Jaune said, apologizing to his boss. "I guess now it's just... more perfect, I suppose." It didn't make much sense, but it was enough to allay the man's facade of injury, the old man lowering his arms and snorting.

"Well, so long as you mean it I suppose." The man sniffed, one of his hands rubbing against his nose. "We're opening next Monday, so I hope you're ready, brat."

"Monday?" Jaune said, blinking in surprise. "So soon?"

"Soon?" Again the man snorted, shaking his head at Jaune. "I'd say not soon enough! Once the Vytal Tournament begins, we're gonna get a lot of business, sonny. I'm gonna need all hands on deck." A cough. "Especially my best bartender."

"Bar-" Jaune's heart soared, and once again he had a problem with his breathing. The man didn't see any of this, having already started to hobble into the backroom, waving a hand at Jaune. Instead, the blond boy turned to Glynda, mouth gaping at her.

"D-did you hear what he just said?" Jaune asked the woman, making sure that he hadn't hallucinated or misheard or anything. Professor Goodwitch nodded, a certain look in her eyes.

"I did."

The two words were enough to make Jaune jump into the air, both hands raised into the sky. "Yes! I'm back, baby!" The howling was enough to make the construction workers stop what they were doing for a second and glance at the boy in amusement, before they went back to work. "This is awesome." Jaune gushed, pacing and turning around, mind racing. "I-I have so many drinks that I've been thinking of making, and getting behind the counter again? Oh man, that'll be so awesome. I can't wait to tell the others..." He trailed off when he turned back towards Glynda, who still had the same expression on her face as before. Gears turned inside Jaune's head.

"You don't want me to work behind the bar again."

"No." Professor Goodwitch said quickly. A little too quickly. "That's not what I'm thinking at all." Jaune had a hard time believing that, when she looked so uncertain when she had said it. Glynda could see that she wasn't convincing anyone and her shoulders slumped down a little, a sigh escaping. One of her hands rose and brushed some hair out of her face, her eyebrows scrunching up. "I… am happy that you're happy to be working again."

That wasn't the point Jaune had been making.

"You're scared I'll start to… drink again."

"I'm scared you'll start to _over_ drink again." She raised a hand to stop Jaune from protesting. "I know you've got aura now. I know that you have a larger tolerance to alcohol. But that's not a good thing either."

Jaune's head drooped a little, before it's downwards progress was stopped by Glynda.

"You know what alcohol can do to the body. What it can do to the mind." Her grip tightened around his shoulders. "When your body wants to… to feel the feeling that alcohol gave it again, your body will want more. A dangerous amount more than before." Jaune stared into Glynda's eyes, seeing the pain in them. "And I don't want to see you in a worse position than you were before. Please."

Jaune's heart felt like it was tearing in half, unsure of what it wanted. No, more like it knew what it wanted, and wasn't sure how to explain it to another person.

"No."

Glynda's eyes widened in shock at the blatant refusal coming from Jaune. Hands rose up and clasped onto her wrists, pulling them away firmly, but not harshly. Glynda could see in his eyes that he wasn't trying to be unnecessarily cruel. He just wanted to show her that he was serious about the matter.

"Pro-… Glynda." Jaune made sure to pronounce every syllable, eyes pointed with laser focus. "I respect your opinion. Out of… all of the Huntsmen and Huntresses out there, you're the one I look up to the most." The blond shook his head. "But I can't leave this place. I love it."

"You wouldn't _have_ to leave it." She protested, but was quickly cut off.

"I would." Jaune said firmly. "And you know it. I… I hate being a waiter. I mean, it's not the worst but…" Jaune's eyes made their way towards the bar counter, a wistful look on his face. "It just reminds me of what I used to be. And it hurts knowing that I'm not where I could be. Where I _should_ be."

Glynda looked carefully at the boy, her teeth deciding to gnaw on her lower lip as she thought about what Jaune had said. There was a small noise that escaped her, something of a mix between a sigh and a chuckle before she shook her head, a tired smile appearing on her face.

"Your life never gets simpler, does it?"

Jaune gave her a heartfelt shrug. "At this point, I wouldn't know what to do with my life if it got simpler." The teacher rolled her eyes at him.

"I don't know. Be happy? Pursue hobbies that won't get you involved in Huntsmen problems and Grimm?"

"I think we both know exactly how that'll turn out." Jaune said, raising an eyebrow at Glynda's suggestions.

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't at least try." Jaune hid a snort of amusement, having never seen a grown woman pout like she just had.

Maybe she was right. But then again, if Jaune _had_ decided to keep his nose out of everything, things would be a lot different. He definitely wouldn't have faced near death two or three times now at this point. Wouldn't have faced off with that otherworldly witch, wouldn't have been traumatized to the point of being unable to handle prolonged physical contact with anyone.

Jaune also wouldn't have found all of the friends that he had today, from grumpy, drunk Qrow to tsundere Weiss.

Yeah. He didn't always make the right choices, but the choices he made were his, and in the end, he was happy with the choices he made.


	29. Those Old Feelings

**A/N: So. Yeah. Long time no see guys. Life is hard XD. Making rent is hard. Relationships are hard. So yeah. Those are my excuses :). Hopefully y'all are going to enjoy this chapter. Methinks I've enjoyed writing. I'm trying my best to update sooner! Promise!**

 **Ako: Sorry, always super busy. Hopefully this one will make up for everything :)**

* * *

When Jaune woke up every day when he was working as a bartender, there was a specific order he did things, almost a ritual of good luck in his mind. Go take a shower, make breakfast, brush his teeth and put on his uniform. Undershirt, pants, belt, vest, then gloves. Afterwards, he checked his hand-me-down scroll and wallet, making sure that he had everything he needed for the day, and locking the door, rotating the knob to make sure that it was secure.

That order was something that he loathed to break, and even when he fell into the vice of drinking, even when he had a roaring headache he continued to do everything in that order, giving his life some semblance of control. It was a nice illusion to have while he had it, even if it completely fell apart when more and more Huntsmen started to visit him.

This was the first morning in a long time that he was able to complete his small ritual, even if it was in one of Beacon's room instead of his ratty apartment. It was a little jarring, but paradoxically, it set some ease into his mind, enough that he was able to drop another inch off of his tense shoulders and he was able to allow himself a small smile.

There was a sharp rap of knuckles against his door, announcing that someone was waiting outside. A quick swipe from his scroll, the door slid open to reveal company, something he had mixed feelings about. Still, Jaune allowed himself to smile, greeting the girl as she stepped through the doorway.

"Hey Weiss. Thanks for escorting me today."

The pale-haired girl scoffed, shrugging her shoulders.

"There's no need for false pretenses Jaune. I know you hate having someone bodyguard you." Jaune sighed, shaking his head as his lips fell into a straight line.

"Maybe not. But that doesn't mean I'm not thankful of it. After all, you _are_ taking time out of your day to do this." Weiss dipped her head in acknowledgement before turning to face the windows.

"It's nothing really. Unlike other people, I do not have a tendency to occupy my time with trivial pastimes. Cutting a few minutes out of my study time isn't going to stop me from being top of the class." The girl turned, her skirt fluttering ever so slightly as she did so. She had changed out of her school uniform, Jaune realized, although he wasn't completely sure why she would need to do so just to take him on a fifteen minute ride to the bar. It was probably something that Schnees just did, Jaune supposed. Another thing that reminded him that Weiss was practically from a different world.

"Well I'm glad that I'm not causing any of your grades to suffer," Jaune replied back, dismissing whatever thoughts he had previously into the back of his mind. Shaking his wrist, he pulled it up so that he could see the time on his new wristwatch, noting it down in his mind. "We should probably head out now, I like to be about half an hour early so that I can set up and clean the bar." Weiss nodded and swiped at her own scroll, opening the door and gesturing at the exit, allowing Jaune to step out before her. After the door slid shut and Jaune finished locking it, they took off towards the Bullhead, Jaune turning a little green at the thought of getting on one of those things again. It wasn't even all that bad anymore, his Aura allowing him to squash most of his motion sickness. Now, it was mostly a psychological thing.

Having escorted Jaune a few times now, Weiss knew not to try and hold any conversation with the boy when they were on a moving vehicle, instead eyeing the windows, making sure that she wouldn't get sick from looking at him get sick. She also knew not to talk to him ten minutes after they got off the Bullhead, giving him some time to center himself. She kept herself busy by keeping a careful eye on their surroundings, making sure that they were safe. Jaune wasn't sure if it was really the sword on her hip that discouraged anyone from approaching them, or her ferocious glare that everyone was keen to avoid. For one of the shorter girls he knew, she was probably one of the most frightening people he knew, only below Glynda in that degree.

Halfway to their destination, Weiss, surprisingly, was the first person to speak up, also taking a few quick steps to stay ahead of the boy she was supposed to be guarding. The movement was almost like a hiccup, a sort of skip, if Schnees were the type to skip.

"How has it been at the bar now that you've been reinstated as the bartender?" Jaune's eyes traced Weiss's bobbing ponytail as she asked the question, wondering how furious she would be if he tried to tug on it. He would probably lose a few fingers in the process, no matter how gently he tried to do it though.

"It's been nice. It feels like I've found my place again." The boy replied, scratching his palm. "Scarlet was really nice. He cheered when I told him that I was taking the bartending role again." Jaune shrugged, remembering how ecstatic the redhead was when Jaune told him about the news.

"Really?" Weiss turned around briefly, letting their eyes meet for a second before she turned back, eyes scanning the streets. "I'm surprised. Most people would be a little put off if someone was taking their job." Again Jaune shrugged, even if he knew that Weiss wouldn't be able to see the action.

"I don't really know either. But I know that he's a way better server than I was." And it was true too. Jaune still wasn't sure why it was so hard to memorize the menu and ring in an order right, when it was almost the same thing when he was bartending. It was probably just something mental.

"Hmm. There's no doubt about that." Jaune blinked at how dry Weiss sounded, put off enough that he didn't speak for a few seconds.

"Hey, I wasn't _that_ bad." Jaune said defensively, a small frown on his face. That got Weiss to stop and turn around, an eye arched as she crossed her arms, stopping the boy from moving. Clearing her throat, she started to count off her fingers.

"When you decided to drop all of the plates that you were carrying? Remember when you got _every single_ order wrong for our table?" Weiss tapped her lips thoughtfully. "Not to mention the fact that you would always seem to forget something about our food, even though we order pretty much the _exact_ same thing, every single time?" Jaune sputtered helplessly as she listed the reasons off. The girl stopped talking, allowing Jaune to come up with a few meager excuses until he fell silent again, getting the feeling that he wasn't going to be able to talk his way out of this one. Weiss was quick to lay a hand on his shoulder, bringing his eyes to her.

"Let's say that finding your place again isn't the only reason why I'm glad you're back to being a bartender." Jaune rolled his eyes, a small smile on his face as he spotted the spark of mischief in Weiss's eyes.

"You know, there _is_ such a thing as being _too_ blunt, you know?"

The heiress tossed her hair, obscuring her face. "Maybe. But I certainly haven't found that point yet." Jaune shook his head in exasperation, continuing to walk.

"Of course you haven't."

Rounding the corner, Jaune's heart picked its pace up just a slight bit more as he saw the bar standing magnificently in front of him. No matter how often he looked at the place, it never failed to bring out a trail of emotions from him. New bricks, same air.

Without another word Jaune pushed through the doorway and into the bar. His bar. Smells reached out to touch him, caressing and pulling him closer into the folds. The smell of newly made food, sizzling in the back, along with the smell of beer and other spirits reached him, making him close his eyes and breathe it all in deeply. He was back where he belonged.

It took Weiss half a dozen times clearing her throat before Jaune finally processed the noise, turning around to look at her stern face. He cocked an eyebrow, wondering what Weiss needed. The hardened expression on her face softened seeing him look at her, and she swept her gaze around at the barely populated bar, most likely categorizing and making sure that the area was safe.

"You'll be alright?" She asked quietly, seriousness written all across her face. Jaune nodded, lips turning into a small smile.

"I think I'll manage."

Weiss rolled her eyes at that and shook her head, turning to leave. Before he could think about what he was doing, Jaune reached out to grab onto her sleeve, stopping her from going any further. When she turned to look at him, the blond boy's mind slowed to a stop, knowing exactly why he stopped her, but not really knowing why he did what he did. It was confusing... but it almost always was inside his mind.

"T-thanks for taking me here." He finally said, cursing himself mentally. That wasn't really what he wanted to say, but apparently that's what he's going to go with anyways. "I know I don't always sound like it, but I'm glad that you guys care enough about me to make sure that I'm safe."

Both of Weiss's eyebrows rose at the admission. She looked pointedly at Jaune's hand, which was still attached to her sleeve. He took the overt hint pretty quickly, letting go and clasping his hands behind his back nervously, a small chuckle escaping him. Watching Jaune, the heiress sighed, crossing her arms and shaking her head.

"You don't have to thank us Jaune. We are doing this because we're your friends. That's what friends do for each other."

"I don't do that for you guys." Jaune countered bluntly.

"That's because we can take care of ourselves." Weiss cut in, rolling her eyes again. "Obviously. But you're taking this the wrong way. You might not protect us physically, but..." Weiss squeezed her eyes tight, releasing a deep breath. "You help us out... in a lot of other... ways."

Jaune stared at the conflicted girl, mouth slightly open, trying to piece together what she had said. For some strange reason, Jaune felt as if there was something else that Weiss wanted to convey to him, but had decided to word it in a way that would confuse him. There wasn't anything that he could really say, so he nodded instead.

"Oh."

Now it got to the point where the both of them stood facing each other, mouths opening and closing but with no words passing in between them. They had the feeling that they needed to say something, anything to break the awkward silence in between them, but their minds raced too quickly, dismissing every topic in fear that it would only make things worse.

"I'm going to go now." Weiss broke the silence first, rubbing her arm. "I'll make sure that Yang comes at a reasonable time tonight."

"Thanks. But it was fine, really. I know you guys can get pretty caught up on some things. You know, being Huntresses and preparing for the Vytal Festival." Weiss hummed an admission, before shrugging and waving her hand.

"She can make time for you. Have a good night Jaune."

Jaune nodded. "See you."

Turning around, he found the cook and manager standing to the side, matching grins on their faces. Not wanting to look like a bumbling teenager, Jaune ignored their pointed looks and walked towards them, rolling up his sleeves.

"Come on guys. Let's get ready for the night."

And promptly tripped, stumbling a few steps before recovering, ruining the cool image that he tried to make for himself.

In a surprising show of adult-like behavior, the two in front of him only snickered loudly before breaking up, one returning to the grill and the other finishing up prepping the tables. Jaune stood where he was for another second, pushing away the embarrassment and going behind the counter, checking to see if every bottle was full and the glasses were stocked. Time passed by quickly as he did everything he needed to before the bar opened, also making sure that there were the appropriate amount of backups and wet rags for him as he strode back and forth between the bar.

The first customers started to stream in as he finished up with his work, some of them greeting him warmly, Jaune being the first person they see. Scarlet actually filed in behind them, chatting happily with them before he noticed the blond boy, winking at him and heading towards the kitchen, calling out the orders that he had already gotten from the customers as he was chatting with them. A few of them went up to talk with Jaune as well, asking about his life, moaning about their own lives, and generally having a good time. Some of them even noticed that the place had been rebuilt, which shouldn't have been a surprise, seeing as how the whole building had almost been demolished a few weeks ago.

The night flew by as people continued to walk in and out, Jaune generally focused on making sure that the people were having a good time, the drinks were flowing, and that every sip was short of heaven.

Of course, the night wasn't perfect unless there were a few rowdy patrons, as well as the rude, the stupid, and the plain rude and stupid. Experienced with his job though, Jaune continued to work, leaving even those customers somewhat happy, which was the best that anyone can really do.

The doors swung open for the fortieth time that night, Jaune's head rising to look at the newcomer, hands still furiously cleaning a stain on the counter. A smile erupted from his face, teeth flashing.

"Hello Professor Oobleck. I wasn't expecting you to be here tonight." Or any night really, the man known to be fond of another type of drink.

"Ah yes. I was certainly in the neighborhood, and thought that it would be a wondrous idea to finally see what my colleagues have simply been raving to me about. " He peered over his glasses, making them glint. "Do you know how hard it is to get Professor Goodwitch to talk about anything besides work? And it seems that now the only thing she ever seems to talk about is you Jaune."

The boy let out a little laugh, shoulders shaking a little as he went to work process the waterfall of words that burst out of the green-haired man's mouth.

"I think I'll take that as a compliment."

The man nodded, a bright smile appearing on his face. "Quite. It has certainly impressed the rest of the faculty, that much is for sure."

The man almost hopped onto the bar stool, gaze scanning around to look at the bottles behind him, eyebrows creasing as he considered his choices. Jaune took the opportunity to do his job, and started to list out suggestions of drinks that he might have thought the man would like.

"If you'd like, I can make you something with a shot of expresso—it's normally a weird combination, but I think I've perfected a balance between the two of them. Or we can try something like a frozen drink, like a frappachino of some sort, with caffeinated coffee of some sort in it. Or I could brew a pot of straight black and mix it in with something else—"

"Actually," The man interrupted Jaune before he could give out anything else, a hand reaching out to grab Jaune's arm. "I think that I would rather enjoy a nice Old Fashioned, if that is perfectly alright with you Jaune."

The boy stopped talking, blinking twice at the request. He hadn't been bartending for a long time, but it didn't take him long before he picked up the useful skill of being able to predict what kind of drink someone wanted, and it was very, very, very rare for him to be wrong. Like, he couldn't remember the last time that someone wanted something that he hadn't already considered.

Today seemed to just be one of those days.

"Oh. Well. I guess that's as good of a drink as any." Jaune reached out for a glass, placing it on a new coaster. Professor Oobleck chuckled, resting his chin on his hands.

"I would certainly hope so. It _is_ my favorite drink to have."

"Really?" Jaune blurted out, forgetting himself as Oobleck seemed to take him further off guard.

"Really." The man repeated, an amused smile on his face. "Does that really surprise you so?"

"I-I mean not really." Jaune tried recovering, tipping the bottle that he had in his hand, preparing to pour the liquid into the glass. "I mean, it's just that I always see you have around a mug of coffee, so I assumed..."

"You assumed that I was a caffeine addict?" Jaune winced at how that sounded, protesting about that specific phrase. "Well, you're not wrong. I do consume quite a gargantuan amount of coffee. But I do not do it for reasons that you would think so." The man glanced down at the glass in front of him. "I also tend to prefer brandy in my Old fashioned."

Jaune looked down in horror as he realized that he had grabbed Gin earlier, and was quick to take the drink back, placing another glass in front of Oobleck and muttering an apology as he remade the drink from scratch.

"Why do you drink so much coffee if it's not your favorite drink?" Jaune asked, intent on moving on from the fact that he had made the wrong drink. Letting the ice cube tinkle in the glass before the man spoke, Oobleck started tapping his fingers on the table.

"Because it helps mitigate the effects of my Semblance."

"You're Semblance?" Jaune asked, curious.

"My Semblance." The man said, nodding in agreement. "You see, I am... incredibly fast. Thank you." The man pulled the finished drink towards him, tipping the contents slowly past his lips.

"In...credibly fast?" Jaune repeated, not sure what the man meant. Oobleck lifted a single eyebrow at the confused boy.

"Yes. Surely you didn't think I moved this fast for fun, did you?"

Jaune flushed, scratching the back of his neck. "N-no of course not. But I mean, I thought you moved that way because of, well. I mean all of the caffeine that you drink—"

"Actually helps me slow down." The man interrupted, tapping the glass in his hand. "My Semblance is not something you can turn off, like the Semblance of Ms. Rose. I... constantly must move." The man held out his hand, gesturing for Jaune to look closely. Squinting a little, the boy found that the hand seemed to vibrate every few seconds, the movement so little and so far in between that anyone else would have missed it if they weren't looking for it.

"That must be inconvenient sometimes." Jaune said quietly.

"Sometimes." The man agreed, pulling his hand back. "But not every Semblance comes with only benefits Jaune. Some come with undesirable effects, and you might have to find a way to either mitigate or work with it for the rest of your life."

It didn't take much for Jaune to piece together what the man was saying, his eyes snapping onto the green-haired man's.

"You're saying that unlocking my Aura might end up badly for me."

"That will be up for you to decide." The man said, finishing his drink and placing it to the side, politely asking for a second one. "And it will also depend onhow you make of it. Disadvantages can be quite advantageous if you use them in the correct way. And if you continue looking, you will almost always find a bright side to what should only be darkness."

Again Jaune blinked slowly, his mind processing the bit of advice that the professor seemed to be trying to impart to him.

"Even your Semblance?" Jaune asked.

"Even mine. For example." The man pulled his ever-present thermos out and winked at Jaune. "It gives me quite the excuse to always be drinking coffee." The man leaned in and whispered. "Even if it is _not_ my favorite drink. Ah, perfect." Oobleck grabbed the second glass, drinking that one pretty quickly. "Alcohol also helps me... calm down, if you will. Actually, it helps more than caffeine generally does."

Jaune cocked his head to the side, a question popping into his mind. "Wait. Then why don't you drink more often then?"

The man laughed at the question, standing up and procuring his wallet. "Because Jaune, what kind of teacher would I be if I was drinking all the time?"

Oh.

Jaune winced at how stupid the question sounded now that he had the time to think about it, apologizing to the man, who was quick to shake his head and wave off the apology.

"Oh trust me, I never mind questions Jaune. After all, I would be quite a terrible teacher if none of my students ever asked any questions."

There were another few words exchanged in between the two of them before the man left, leaving Jaune a little dazed and confused, wondering what had happened in the twenty or minutes that the two of them were talking. Professor Oobleck and Professor Port were both strange in their own ways, and Jaune wasn't sure which one he had to be more cautious around.

The rest of the night was more monotonous compared to the conversation with the green-haired professor, Jaune falling back into his rhythm all the way until close to closing time, where he noticed someone walking in about five minutes or so until closing time, time that Jaune had been using to finish cleaning the bar and cutting off any patrons that still insisted on drinking.

A man in a dapper black suit walked in leisurely, cane clicking against the wooden floor as he did so. His gray hair swayed to the fans, his strange glasses only seeming to compliment his outfit.

As the man settled onto the bar stool across from Jaune, the boy rose, confused to why the man was sitting there.

"Hello Professor Ozpin."

"Hello Jaune." The man nodded, a mysterious smile on his face.

"...Would you like a drink, sir?" Jaune asked cautiously.

"I'll have to decline on that offer actually, although I appreciate you asking." The man inhaled slightly, his eyes unwavering as he looked at the boy. "Actually, I came here after I caught Ms. Xiao-Long sneaking out of her room."

Guilt flooded Jaune's systems, and he was quick to defend the girl. "Actually, she was going to make sure that I was alright by coming here and escorting me back to Beacon, so if anyone's responsible—"

"It would be me, Mr. Arc." The man said, his smile still on his face. "Do not worry, I know and approve of your friends doing something like this. What would a Huntress be if she doesn't even go that far for her friends?"

"I-oh. Thank you sir." Not sure he wanted to ask, but needing to ask anyways, Jaune decided to cut to the chase. "So if I'm not in trouble, why _are_ you here, sir?"

The man's eyes swirled with a hidden emotion, something happening in his mind that was beyond the comprehension of Jaune's mind.

"Tell me Mr. Arc. What do you think of your family?" The question was sudden, and like any mention of them, it was a blow to the chest, even after everything that he went through, even after he tried his best to move on from them.

"I-I think they were my family." Jaune croaked out, trying to shove the welling emotions in him. "I'm-I'm not sure how I should answer that question."

"I apologize then. Let me ask another question that might shed a bit more light." The man pushed his glasses up, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again. "What would you give to bring them back?"

"Everything."

The reply was fast, and almost a knee-jerk response from Jaune. It was the response that he always had ready for those types of questions, and in the first few months after they had been slaughtered, it was the sentence that repeated almost constantly in his mind.

He would give everything for his family.

"Everything?" Ozpin asked, suddenly a lot more intense than he was before. "Even the friends that you've made here? Even the place that you are standing in at the moment?"

Jaune paused, and for the first time, thought about the word that he had uttered. Everything.

Everything would mean Ruby, Nora, Sun... Weiss. It would mean the bar and Beacon, two places that he quickly found himself enamored in, places that made him feel at home. Now that he thought about it...

 _Would_ he give up everything for his past mistakes?

"The past is a curious thing Jaune." The professor said quietly, fingers tracing circles on the wood of the bar counter. "It entices you, reminds you of the worst and best of yourself, makes you wish that you could make choices differently... but then reminds you of the choices that you _have_ made."

"Tell me Jaune, would you give up what you have of the present for the past?"

"I... I don't know." Jaune shook his head, thoughts slamming into his mind. His mistakes were something that he could recall easily, something that seemed to torture him all too often. But if he never made those mistakes, he would have never found what he found now. Friends that would go to the ends of Remnant for him, two places that he could call home. A woman that seemed to love him enough to rebuild the place that he worked at. In the end, making the decision was... was hard. But it was a straightforward one.

He couldn't imagine living without the people and places he knew now.

He's lived through living without the people he knew before.

A hand reached over and touched Jaune's hand, dragging his attention towards Professor Ozpin.

"It's not an answer that needs to be spoken aloud Jaune." The words were kind, causing a lump to form in Jaune's throat. Withdrawing his hand, Ozpin continued to speak. "Actually, it might not be a decision that you need to make."

What?

"Now, there's something to be said about giving false hope, so I have to caution you. The evidence is not concrete, not is it something that can be confidently guessed on—"

This can't be possible. Jaune's mind started to pick up to hyperdrive. The words that came from Ozpin's mouth were strange, as if he was trying to break some sort of news to him.

"—Professor Goodwitch has been researching your old town, if only to help document the damages that occurred there—"

Scenarios played constantly in his head, where Ozpin broke news to him that he loved, news where he hated, and news that he might not expect. They all swarmed him, and in the end, Jaune wasn't sure what he really wanted to hear from the man.

"—Now there are definitely many dead. Much of your family's bodies have been recovered, and if you would like, we can send them here, have them a proper burial. But I think, and the evidence is murky, but both me and Professor Goodwitch have a good feeling..."

No. no no no no no no. Jaune thought that he had given up all hope. Given up the feeling that he had felt months ago. The hope, the pain, everything was too overwhelming for him to handle, and the first month had been devastating on his psyche. Those feelings seemed to return with a vengeance, so powerful that tears were already prickling around the edges of his eyes, his hand rising to cover his mouth.

"We think a few of your family might still be alive, Mr. Arc."


	30. Finding Family

**A/N: Alright boys and girls. Here's a big announcement for y'all.**

 _ **Tending to the Soul**_ **is finished.**

 **It's abrupt, it's sudden, but to be honest, it needs to happen. It's not fair for y'all to wait a month and a half for me to upload a chapter. I know I wouldn't like that, and at that point in time, I would probably forget a lot of the plot. That's no fun.**

 **And so I've decided to finish the story, wrapping it up with this chapter. I know there's a lot of loose ends. A lot of things that I hadn't touched upon. I would like you guys, as the readers to draw upon your own conclusions for those things. Who knows, maybe one day I'll get back onto writing this story and finish it up with a more solid ending. For now though, this ending is as good as any, and it'll have to do until I'm able to get my life in order. I apologize for everyone that might have hoped for it to end differently but... Well, that's life for you. :)**

 **I hope you all enjoy the last chapter of** _ **Tending to the Soul.**_

* * *

Fear found its way into Jaune's stomach, worming into the pit that was already gnawing its way through him.

Jaune didn't remember much after Professor Ozpin left, his mind a complete haze as he continued through the motions of doing his job, but not really noticing what he was doing. The patrons quickly understood that the boy was quickly going on his way out, and that they should follow suit, most of them already starting to clear out. It didn't take much longer for him to close up the bar and sit at one of his cleaned tables, mind still whirling.

It's been almost a whole year since he left his destroyed town, convinced that he was the last Arc alive.

And now Professor Ozpin was talking about the possibility that some of them might still be alive?

The first emotion that he felt was anger. Angry that Professor Ozpin would play that joke on him. Or maybe the first thing he felt was disbelief. It was hard to figure out what he was really thinking when his mind was just screaming at him the whole time, a headache emerging, making the back of his neck pulse, creeping slowly up to his cheek and ending in the center of his forehead. Jaune put down the rag that he was cleaning with and touched the spot where it hurt the most, squeezing his eyes tightly and hoping that it would disappear.

A creak of the front doorway was just loud enough to get Jaune to raise his head, bloodshot eyes blinking as he took in the sight of a grinning Yang, whose face quickly changed when she saw how haggard Jaune looked. With a blur of speed that was almost comparable to her sisters, Yang was standing besides the boy, a hand on his shoulder.

"Is everything alright Jaune?" The blonde girl kept her voice low, but concern was obviously bleeding its way through her tone, no matter how much she tried to disguise it. Jaune knew what she was trying to do. It wasn't hard to figure out that Jaune was the type of person to dismiss help when offered, and Yang was trying not to set off his knee-jerk response of denying that anything was wrong. It probably would have worked if it wasn't for the fact that Jaune wasn't in the mood for entertaining that kind of gesture, and knowing what she was trying to do only set him off a bit more.

"Everything's fine." Jaune snapped shortly, shrugging her hand off of his shoulder and taking a step away, wringing the almost dry towel with his hands. "I just need to finish cleaning the place, then we can go." He muttered, heading towards the back of the counter again.

"Hiding what's bothering you isn't going to help you know."

Jaune didn't bother stopping, instead continuing his motions robotically, deciding to ignore the girl for now, and trying to keep his mind off of everything by working himself to the bone.

Of course, Yang wouldn't be Yang if she let something like that happen.

Jaune grunted when he felt fingers wrap around his wrist, jerking him around to meet a miffed Yang, whose pursed lips showed that she was running out of patience, and wasn't going to let him do something as childish as mope around. Jaune could see her intention, but wasn't in the mood for any of it.

"What?"

The word made Yang's eyes flash bright red, a growl escaping her before she was able to push it down, to Jaune's disappointment. He would have rather had a fight then go into a civil conversation. Something about that seemed to make sense to him, Jaune being convinced that it would be a big enough distraction for the night. But like Jaune, Yang could see straight through him, and refused to bite the bait.

"I know what you're trying to do." Yang said levelly. "It's not going to work. And don't think I'm not stubborn enough to pester you until you spill." Jaune scowled at the remark, pulling his arm away from the girl.

Yang let out an angry breath, starting to see that she wasn't going to get through to him this way. Crossing her arms, the girl watched Jaune as he finished all of his duties, his movements clearly mechanical. Her expression softened when she saw a flash of his face as he turned around, Jaune clearly hurt and confused. Trying a different approach, Yang pulled out a chair, sitting down on it, the feet scratching against the hardwood floors loudly enough for Jaune to pause, snapping him out of his reverie. Not really appreciating the interruption, Jaune snapped at the girl.

"What?"

Yang didn't answer, eyes flickering as she continued to watch Jaune's still form. The way she looked at him made him feel… small. Like a child. It made him feel uncomfortable, reminding him whenever he had been caught doing something by his mother, and getting lectured without her having to say a word. Jaune made a point to turn away from her, continuing to clean without having to look at the blonde girl sitting behind him.

It didn't help any, of course. Jaune didn't really think it would do anything, he just hoped that it would diminish the effect. Unfortunately, it seemed to actually make Jaune even more sensitive to the fact that Yang was staring at him, the aura of… disappointment piercing straight through him. It made not thinking about what Ozpin had said a few hours ago impossible, the fact that Yang wanted to know hammering into his mind and chipping away at his defenses. It only took one good hit for the rest of it to shatter, which came in the form of a gentlest of touches on his shoulder, the boy turning around of his own will and facing Yang, who didn't have a concerned look on her face.

Simply an expression that told him that Yang cared about him, and would be happy to stand by him, even if Jaune decided to never tell her what was wrong.

Collapsing into her arms, Jaune buried his head into her shoulder, finding that he had been crying for a little while now, not realizing it because of how much was going through his mind. Yang wrapped her arms around him, stroking his back and whispering kind words that reached his ears, but never went through his mind. It was kind and gentle though, and was constant enough that Jaune didn't need to understand what was being said, just that Yang was saying it, and that would be enough.

Sniffling, Jaune pulled away, wiping his nose with his sleeve and blinking away the last of his tears, gathering enough strength to pull himself together.

"S-sorry." Jaune hiccupped, still struggling to talk. "I just… I just—"

Yang stopped him from talking, putting a finger on his lips to quiet him, shaking her head slightly.

"It's okay Jaune. You don't have to talk right now." Yang placed a hand on his chest, patting him right above the heart. "Just take your time to tell me. It's okay." She repeated gently. Jaune didn't trust himself to talk, nodding his head in thanks as he closed his eyes, body shaking with… well, he wasn't exactly sure what the emotion he was really feeling was.

It took a minute for Yang to help him up onto his feet. With her around though, Jaune found himself able to finish closing up the bar, locking it up tightly, pulling on the doors to make sure that they were closed.

With Yang always in close proximity, Jaune allowed his mind to wander again, this time into a white haze, where he didn't notice the outside world, to the point where the Bullhead didn't trigger his motion sickness. It was only when Yang tugged him gently to notify that they were standing next to the doorway to his room that he snapped out of it, turning to look at the blonde girl.

"Well, this is your stop." The cheer that Yang was able to deliver was surprisingly genuine, but that was what made her Yang. The spirit was enough to make Jaune smile reflexively, nodding his head weakly at her, appreciative of what she was trying to do.

"Thank you," Jaune said, layering the gratitude in multiple layers. Yang nodded back, knowing what she was being thanked for. A lump rose in his throat, choking what he was going to say next. Without giving him a chance to really say anything, Yang cut in, shaking her head and giving him a bright smile.

"Get some sleep, Jaune." She said, pushing him through the door. "We can all talk about this later."

He nodded, murmuring a half-hearted goodnight to her as he shut the door, crawling into bed and closing his eyes. Exhaustion wasn't sudden, but creeped up on him when he wasn't paying attention, and Jaune drifted off into restless sleep, with dreams of chasing after his family, and his family chasing after him, the last words he heard echoing through his head.

" _We can all talk about this later."_

## #

Waking up was a difficult thing to do for Jaune. The day starts off pretty groggily, with him not knowing exactly where he was. Even within the comforts of his own apartment it had been like that, but mostly because he wasn't sure if he had fallen asleep on the couch, or the table, or the bed. He wasn't the healthiest of sleepers. It was funny too, because he didn't really sleep much either. It was something about how restless he always was, something about the fact that he always liked to keep moving, whether it was jittering his fingers or moving about, some part of him always liked to keep moving. Keeping busy was a good thing in his mind.

Nevertheless, it wasn't a huge stretch to say that it was difficult for Jaune to get out of bed. Opening his eyes was one thing. Rising from the covers was another.

Jaune couldn't tell how long he had been laying there, staring at the white ceiling, his mind swirling as soon as he realized that he was awake. Sitting up out of bed was a hard thing, but stepping out of it was even harder.

The gargantuan task of moving his legs took an hour or two, or maybe about five minutes, but it wasn't something that Jaune was really keeping track of. All he knew was that it took way too long for his feet to touch the ground, and when they did, the cold hardwood floors seemed to jolt some energy into him, allowing him to stand up, even with his body protesting against the dramatic action. A shower and brushing of teeth followed shortly after, Jaune finally poking his head through his sweater and sighing in relief, the feeling of being clean allowing his mind to free up.

Towards the end of his morning ritual, Jaune heard a sharp rap of knuckles on his door, the thing sliding open before Jaune could even process the sound.

Protests withered as he saw Professor Goodwitch, her expression hesitant as she looked at the Jaune. He turned to look at his drawer, not sure he wanted to look at her at the moment. He took a deep breath and turned to look at the woman anyways, as bright of a smile as he possibly could have put on for her.

"Hey there professor. I didn't expect you to be here—"

The rest of his words were cut off as he strode forwards, wrapping him in a tight hug. It was warm, comforting, and completely unwanted. The action made Jaune's heart sink, but he pushed on, trying to sell the facade.

"W-what's this for Glynda?" Jaune laughed nervously, wrapping his arms around her tightly, but attempting to pull away right after. She didn't let him of course, instead tightening her grip, whispering into his ear.

"I know Jaune. There's no need to fake it around me."

His lip trembled, the words hitting him quickly, making him hurt all over. Still, he tried to push on. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The blonde woman sighed, pulling away as she fixed a stern glare at him, disappointed that he would try to pull something like that past her. Shaking her head, she pushed her glasses up, deciding to be as frank as possible.

"The headmaster told me that there was a possibility that some of your family might have survived the Grimm attack." The woman paused, gauging Jaune's reaction.

"Oh." Jaune said softly, eyes downcast as the mask that he had hastily slapped on slipped off, revealing his true emotions for Professor Goodwitch to see. She hated seeing Jaune look like that. It made the woman feel helpless, which was a rare enough feeling for someone as powerful as she was. Reaching out, she grabbed hold of Jaune's hands, leading him towards the bed, gently telling him to sit down, and taking her place next to him.

"How're you feeling right now?" She asked, eyes still roving his form, looking something. What, she didn't know, but she kept looking, hoping to find a way to get through to the boy that she had grown to care deeply about.

Jaune shrugged, turning to face the woman, a small smile adorned on his face. "Okay I guess. I had a whole night to think about it really, so I think I'm okay."

"Did you get any sleep?"

Jaune nodded, blinking in slight exhaustion at the mention of sleep. "A little. Not much." Another shrug. "Still a little tired I guess."

Professor Glynda showed him a kind smile, a hand patting his shoulder. "I can see how it would be hard to sleep with the kind of information Professor Ozpin gave to you the other night." Jaune let out a little laugh at that, shaking his head and exhaling through his nose.

"Yeah, I guess it was the kind of news that probably wasn't a good idea to get a few hours before I had to go to bed." Jaune grinned at her, before turning away to yawn, covering his mouth hastily.

Seeing Jaune so tired caused a rush of anger to course through Professor Goodwitch, directed irrationally at Headmaster Ozpin. She was frustrated at the fact that the headmaster decided that late at night was a good time to give that kind of devastating news to the young boy. She was normally one to trust the old man on his decisions, but this was one of the few times that ended up causing her to blow up, raining hell onto the man for such a poor decision. Sure, there was probably a reason for it, and even if there wasn't, the man wasn't infallible. That didn't mean that she couldn't get angry at the man, which showed when she left his office in a storm, leaving his desk and possessions strewn across the whole room.

And seeing Jaune like this only helped cement her conviction that doing something like that was wholly called for.

And now she was here to ask a few hard questions, and broach a subject that she didn't really want to approach.

"Do you want us to look any deeper into this?"

Jaune looked at her with an incredulous expression.

"What? Of course I want you to." The boy didn't understand why they wouldn't. Was there something else that he didn't know? Something that would make him not want to look into this? The professor squirmed, uncomfortable with the look that Jaune sent her.

"Of course. It's just..." The professor pursed her lips, trying to think of the right words to say. "There's something that you just have to keep in mind." Jaune tilted his head, curious as to what she had to say. Glad that she had his attention, she continued. "I understand that right now you would want to search and figure out if there were any survivors, but maybe..." The woman closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath before continuing. "Maybe you _shouldn't_ try and figure this out."

What?

The words that Professor Goodwitch were saying and what was going through his mind had to be completely different, right? There was just no way that she would be suggesting that he not look into something like this, right? Not when there could be a possibility that his sisters and his mother and his father could still be alive.

Right?

"What... do you mean by that?" Jaune said slowly, pushing down the geyser of emotions that was threatening to spill over.

"I mean that maybe it would be best if you didn't know if they were alive or not."

The words were blunt, but sharp enough to pierce through Jaune. Without knowing it, he had scrambled onto his feet, towering over the older woman, an angry scowl on his face.

"Why would you even think of something like that?" Jaune snarled, pointing a finger at her. "After everything that I've told you, do you really think that I would do something like that? How could you even _suggest_ something like that?"

"Because I _care_ about you, Jaune!" The woman surged forwards, and suddenly, he was the one being towered over. It wasn't her physical form that did so, but the aura that filled the air around her, causing him to close his mouth and look at her, eyes wide as she got close. "I would not suggest something like that unless it was for your benefit Jaune, and don't think I don't know how much it hurts to consider something like that." Even underneath Professor Goodwitch's form, Jaune was defiant, more hurt than angry at this point.

"Then why would you ask me to consider it?" Jaune whispered, throat dry. The professor stared a little longer at him before breaking eye contact, looking older than he had ever seen her before.

"Because it might hurt more in the long run if you don't."

The words were just as quiet, the silence wrapping them both quickly, almost suffocating them as it rushed to fill in the void left by those words. Professor Goodwitch winced, knowing just how dramatic she was sounding, and tried to salvage the conversation.

"… Jaune. I don't want you to misunderstand what I'm trying to say here." Glynda said as kindly as possible, grabbing his hands, trying to calm him down. The blond boy stood there impassively, still unsure of what the professor was trying to say. The woman in front of him took a deep breath, deciding to find another roundabout way to get Jaune to understand her point.

"Jaune, how did you feel when you realized that all of your family was gone?"

There wasn't any real need for a worded answer, Jaune's face twisting in pain at the thought enough to answer the question.

"Exactly." Professor Goodwitch nodded, moving on before he could dwell on those memories again. "And now that the Headmaster has so… _graciously_ revealed that there's a possibility of some of your family surviving through the attack, how do you feel now?"

And once again Jaune's face changed, this time to the emotions that he had felt earlier while thinking about this, before Professor Goodwitch had walked into his room. Hope, uncertainty, a slight edge of fear. And once again all the professor needed was the expression on Jaune's face to answer her question for her.

"I don't understand why that would make me want to give up on my search." Jaune argued, eyebrows creasing. The professor reached over and pat Jaune's hand, a sympathetic smile on her face.

"I'm getting to that point," She said, although not unkindly. Jaune nodded, turning his hand over and letting her grip slide into his, warmth suffusing him. "Right now it's not a bad thing. I know you probably feel a little uncertain. There's probably a lot of doubt going through your mind right now. But mostly..."

"I feel happy." Jaune finished for her, finally finding the words that he needed. Glynda's lips drew into a smile, acknowledging what he said.

"Yes." The answer was simple, but caused Jaune's shoulders to straighten up a little, a smile appearing on his own face. Just as quickly though, the blonde woman's face turned somber.

"But what if we found out that we were mistaken?"

What?

Glynda leaned closer, her tone turning more urgent, her voice showing that she clearly expected an answer out of him this time.

"What if we were wrong... and none of your family did survive?"

The question punched him in the gut harder than any of the other questions before. Suddenly, Jaune found that he couldn't breathe. Nothing came in, even though he could tell that he was inhaling rapidly, his peripherals fading. The question was a heavy one, something like a ram to his mind, opening up the uneasy feeling that he had been feeling for the last few hours, giving a name to what he thought was nameless.

Dread.

The images of him finding his family were suddenly replaced by images of them finding the bodies, of him burying his loved ones. Of a man in a green suit shaking his head sadly, unable to find a trace of hope for Jaune to latch onto.

Sharp pain brought him out of the spiral that he had fallen into, the darkness that he had found himself in disappearing, the professor's concerned eyes on the other side of him. She was shaking him gently, mouth opening and closing, but no sound leaving. Wait. No, that was just him blocking out the sound.

"—alright Jaune?" It didn't sound like it was the first time that she had asked that question. Jaune raised his hands and grabbed onto her forearms, stopping her and nodding.

"I-I'm fine." He answered shakily, extracting himself from her grasp. "S-sorry, I just... I just..."

The blond couldn't figure out what he wanted to say, killing it off mid-sentence without bothering to recover. Professor Goodwitch continued to monitor Jaune, making sure that he didn't have another episode, only relaxing when Jaune let out a deep breath, color returning to him. Calming her own heart down, the professor continued to talk, words coming out a little slower than they were before.

"Do you finally understand the point that I am coming from now?"

Jaune's eyes flickered to hers, before finding their way back towards his hands, a tiny, almost imperceptible nod thrown her way. Nothing but an ache came to the professor as she looked at the boy.

He had been through so much. Lost his family, fell into a pit that he could barely crawl out of. Addiction, pain, tiptoeing across the line of life and death more often than some Huntsmen that she knew. It might have been selfish of her but...

She didn't want him to experience all of that all over again. Not when she would see it all happening to Jaune.

"I think you're forgetting something."

This time it was Glynda who was surprised, hearing Jaune speak aloud, his head drawing up. His eyes danced with thoughtfulness as he looked at her.

"W-what's that?" She asked. Jaune leaned over, a smile appearing on his face as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace. It was sudden, it was unexpected, it was full of an emotion that rose and choked her.

"You're forgetting about you." He whispered into her ears, pulling away. "Well, you're forgetting about everyone is what I'm trying to say." He corrected, shrugging in embarrassment as he realized how dramatic he had made that sound.

"The difference between what happened the first time and the possibility that it could happen again is that I've got—well, I've got friends that care about me." Jaune almost sounded surprised when he said those words, even if it was obvious to Glynda that what he was saying was true. "You guys have seen me go through... go through a lot, and every single one of you guys helped me through it all." Jaune was the one to touch her hands this time, confidence rising in him as he talked.

"I know what _could_ happen if we don't find my family. I also know what _won't_ happen if I don't." Jaune shook his head. "I know I won't fall into what I fell into before, because Yang and Ruby and Weiss and Velvet and Penny and—" He took a deep breath, a chuckle leaving him. "You get the gist. They wouldn't let me be alone like that." Jaune turned and looked out of his window at the bright sky, rays of light hitting his face.

"I'm not going to lie and say that it won't hurt me." Jaune said softly, squeezing Glynda's fingers tightly. "It will. It'll hurt a lot, having hope that my family could still be out there, then finding that not to be true." Jaune's smile faltered for a second, making the blonde teacher beside him want to hug him again. "But I'll get through it like I did before, and I'll get through it stronger and faster than I did before. Because..." Jaune took a deep breath.

"Because I already have a family."

Oh.

That was the only word that went through Glynda's mind, her eyes widening at Jaune's admission. Finally put into words, the woman understood the truth of it all, a smile breaking out onto her face.

"Of course Jaune. You have a family here. In all of your friends... and in me."

When Jaune smiled again, it was something bright and hopeful, hopeful of a better future, one where he was happy, hope of his family, his friends, all coming together. All the pain he went through damaged him, but at this day and age, who _wasn't_ damaged? All that mattered was who picked themselves up and who let it swallow them.

Jaune didn't let it put him down. It hurt him in many ways, brought him to the edge of falling, but he found support on the way. People that would go to the ends of Remnant for him. People he loved, and loved him.

And he wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
